Mosque torched in Upper Galilee

[IsraeliGovtAreKapos]

Price tag: Mosque torched in Upper Galilee

Vandalism in north: 'Revenge' and 'price tag' spray-painted on mosque in Tuba Zangaria overnight. Local residents hold protests, clash with security forces. Police raise alert level in northern district for fear of violent response

Hassan Shaalan
Published:    10.03.11, 08:09 / Israel News
   

A mosque in the town of Tuba Zangaria east of Rosh Pina was torched overnight Monday by unknown assailants. The words "price tag", "revenge" and "Palmer" – the last name of the father and son killed in a terror attack in Kiryat Arba last month – were spray-painted at the scene. Police fear a violent outburst and have therefore raised the alert level in Israel's northern district.

 

Later on Monday, some 300 residents of Tuba Zangaria clashed with security forces after disrupting traffic on Route 90 in response to the attack. Some protesters hurled stones at officers and torched tires. Police forces responded with crowd dispersal means. Earlier, dozens of the local school's students set tires on fire and blocked the entrance to the town in protest.

 

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Residents of the village reported a fire at the mosque in the middle of the night. Hundreds gathered at the scene and chanted "we shall not be silent." Northern District Police commander Major General Roni Atiya held a status evaluation at the scene and established a special investigating team.

 

"Major General Atiya has urged residents to maintain order and allow the police to investigate the event," a police statement said.

 

Words 'revenge' and 'price tag' on mosque (Photo: Ismail al-Hayeb)
Words 'revenge' and 'price tag' on mosque (Photo: Ismail al-Hayeb)
 

Sheikh Uthman al-Hayeb, one of the mosque's caretakers, said: "Today we shall decide how to respond to this shocking event. The arsonists who left us without a mosque must be punished."

 

One of the local residents noted that the activity of all educational and commercial institutions has been suspended following the event. "No one will stay silent over this. Our response will be very harsh," he said.

 

Residents vow harsh response. Mosque in ruins (Photo: Ismail al-Hayeb)
Residents vow harsh response. Mosque in ruins (Photo: Ismail al-Hayeb)
 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen Monday to discuss the "price tag" attack. Netanyahu instructed Cohen to find the culprits as soon as possible. "The images are shocking and have no place in the State of Israel," he told the Shin Bet chief.

 

A statement issued on behalf of the prime minister said: "Netanyahu was outraged when he saw the photos and said the act went against the State of Israel's values. Freedom of religion and freedom to worship are supreme values."

 

Sheikh Kamal Khatib, deputy head of the Islamic Movement's northern branch declared that "racism has taken over the Jewish street. The government of Israel encourages such acts and hatred against Muslims."

 
This is not the first "price tag" operation in northern Israel. In June 2010, hate slogans were spray-painted on a mosque in the heart of Ibtin near Kiryat Tivon.

 

[Ulli]

What they have for people working for y-net? Hassan Shalaan & Ismail al-Hayeb.

It is a shame, that "people" like this are able to spread their propaganda. The sheik mentioned in the article has the same last name like the photographer: Sheikh Uthman al-Hayeb.

Perhaps the Muslims have done the "attack" themselves. They like to do it in order to present themselves as victims.

[mord]

What they have for people working for y-net? Hassan Shalaan & Ismail al-Hayeb.

It is a shame, that "people" like this are able to spread their propaganda. The sheik mentioned in the article has the same last name like the photographer: Sheikh Uthman al-Hayeb.

Perhaps the Muslims have done the "attack" themselves. They like to do it in order to present themselves as victims.

TRUE IT WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST TIME

[syyuge]

You rightly mean it to be an internal fight between the muslamics and eurocommunists. So let it be.

[Zelhar]

What they have for people working for y-net? Hassan Shalaan & Ismail al-Hayeb.

It is a shame, that "people" like this are able to spread their propaganda. The sheik mentioned in the article has the same last name like the photographer: Sheikh Uthman al-Hayeb.

Perhaps the Muslims have done the "attack" themselves. They like to do it in order to present themselves as victims.

It is very common in Israel amongst the Arabs that almost the entire village goes by the same surname.

[Ulli]

It is very common in Israel amongst the Arabs that almost the entire village goes by the same surname.

Are they all related?

[mord]

Are they all related?

Probably it's not unusual for Arabs muslimiacs  to marry first cousins

[Dr. Dan]

I shed no tears....and this can have very well been done by someone who wants to incriminate the right wing and the settlers.

[mord]

I shed no tears....and this can have very well been done by someone who wants to incriminate the right wing and the settlers.

VERY TRUE

[Zelhar]

Are they all related?

Usually they are related but sometimes all the Arabs of a certain neighborhood or village were all registered under the name of the biggest hamula even if they weren't related.

[Ulli]

Usually they are related but sometimes all the Arabs of a certain neighborhood or village were all registered under the name of the biggest hamula even if they weren't related.

Could be a sign of their collective facist nature. For normal people the last name is something very valuable, because it belongs to the individuality of a person.

[Debbie Shafer]

I wonder if more of this will happen in the months to come!