Israeli settlers set alight three Palestinian cars last night in the village of Beit Iksa, north-west of occupied Jerusalem, and sprayed threatening slogans across the road, reported Wafa news agency.

The vandalism comes amid rising Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in Jerusalem, which intensified at the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

According to local sources, three private cars were torched, and settlers from the illegal Ramot settlement wrote, “Jews, let’s win” on the road. Under that, they wrote “Tiktok” along with a star of David.

They added that the cars are owned by a member of the Abu Khalaf family, in addition to Anas Khatib and Issa Hammouda Gheith.

The windows of several parked cars were also smashed, while dozens of settlers gathered and chanted “May your village burn.”

Residents of Beit Iksa complained that an Israeli fire truck came but didn’t put out the fire, reported Haaretz. They had to wait for a Palestinian fire truck, which took longer to arrive.

“The cars aren’t important, we are afraid for our families,” Attorney Abdullah Hamdan, a resident of Beit Iksa, told Haaretz. “This time they damaged cars, next time they’ll harm people.”

Since the start of Ramadan, Palestinians in Jerusalem have been facing violence and harassment by extremist Israeli settlers, mainly, followers of the Kahanist Lahava group. The settlers have tried to set fire to Palestinian homes in Jerusalem’s Old City, and have called for those who protest to be killed.

Gadi Gvaryahu, chairman of the anti-hate crime organisation Tag Meir, said after the incident that “those who glossed over the march of hate by the Lehava organisation on Thursday are reaping a whirlwind.”

The extremists have been protected in their vicious activities against the Palestinians by Israeli police. More than 100 Palestinian protesters have been wounded in these settler attacks, and more than 100 others have been arrested.

 

Source: Palestine Responds