UN Report: Settler Attacks on Palestinians Quadrupled in 2013

Settlers Burn Mosque in Deir Istya in Latest Attack

Palestinians in Deir Istya awoke this morning to find serious damage done to their local mosque, with settlers having burned part of the building and spray-painted “Arabs out!” on the walls. Police say it was the third “price tag” attack in the first two weeks of 2014.

The attacks just continue a trend of massive increases in “price tag” strikes in 2013, and the UN has released its annual report showing that such strikes quadrupled in 2013 over the previous year, including multiple strikes on mosques, attacks on orchards, and assaults on Palestinian farmers.

Settlers opposed to the ongoing peace process have been launching “price tag” attacks on Palestinians to express their objection to peace, saying that they will exact a price for any deal that allows Palestinian statehood.

Though the Israeli government has made a big deal about opposing the attacks, they have done virtually nothing about them, with a handful of settlers questioned and serious charges virtually unheard of.

The US State Department also issued a statement urging Israeli law enforcement to “quickly investigate” the latest mosque attack, saying attacks on religious sites are unacceptable.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.