JERUSALEM (JTA) — A mosque in a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank was vandalized and three cars were set on fire.
The words "price tag" and "Gal Arye Yosef" were spray-painted on the wall of the mosque in the village of Dir Istiya, near Ariel, in the early Wednesday morning attack. The graffiti refers to an illegal outpost that was razed the previous day.
An attempt to attack the mosque was carried out last September.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak strongly condemned the attack and commanded the Israel Defense Forces and officials in the defense establishment to "act resolutely, purposefully and to use all the means at their disposal to capture the lawless rioters and bring them to justice," according to a statement issued from the Ministry of Defense.
"Such acts prevent the IDF from carrying out its primary missions, including the basic protection of the region’s residents," Barak said. "These activities are designed to damage the fragile relationship between Israelis and Palestinians in the Judea and Samaria region, as well as between Israel and its neighbors. The IDF, in cooperation with the police and security personnel, will act robustly against these criminal activities."
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