Holy Land: settlers burn mosque in Galilee

The burning of a mosque today, in the Bedouin village of Tuba Zangria, in the northern region of Galilee has caused outrage and led to clashes, between Palestinian residents and security forces, the Missionary News Service reports.

A group of people is said to have entered the mosque, setting it on fire and writing on the walls outside the building 'price tag' and 'revenge' - a method, often used by Israeli settlers to claim responsibility for similar actions in the West Bank.

After extinguishing the flames, which caused serious damage inside the mosque, burning most of the sacred books in it, about 300 young people headed to the village of Rosh Pina. The Israeli police intervened to disperse them, giving rise to clashes.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that attacks of extremist settlers against Palestinian property this year increased by 50%. Almost all the attacks claimed as a 'price tag' have occurred in the West Bank, though there was an episode in 2010 in the village of Ibilin in Galilee.

YNet News report that President Shimon Peres later visited the mosque with Chief Rabbis Shlomo Moshe Amar and Yona Metzger as well as Muslim, Christian and Druze leaders. He denounced the attack, saying it was "anti-religion, anti-Judaism and anti-morality," and added: "We will not rest until such incidents are eradicated from the land of Israel."


Source: MISNA/YNet