YASUF, West Bank -Assailants vandalized a Palestinian mosque early Friday, burning prayer carpets and holy books, and leaving behind Hebrew graffiti indicating the rampage was the work of settlers angry over Israel's plans to curb settlement construction.
Israeli settlers have repeatedly attacked Palestinians and their property in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to scale back settlement building under U.S. pressure. They call the attacks the "price tag" policy.
The assailants entered the village of Yasuf in the northern West Bank before dawn Friday, according to Israeli police and Munir Abushi, the Palestinian governor of the district where the village is located.
They burned prayer carpets and a book stand with Muslim holy texts, and left graffiti on the floor reading, "Price tag — greetings from Effi." Effi is a Hebrew name.
The vandals escaped. The Israeli military said it views the incident "gravely" and is investigating along with the police. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a statement the incident was "an act of extremism designed to hurt any attempt by the government to make progress" toward renewing peace talks with the Palestinians.
After villagers discovered the damage, they briefly threw stones at Israeli forces that entered Yasuf, Abushi said. He said two villagers were hurt in the skirmish.
Abushi met with Israeli police and army officers and expressed his dismay over repeated settler attacks.
Israeli security forces have done little to protect Palestinian civilians from the settlers, he said, echoing a charge often made by Palestinians and Israeli and international rights groups.
In an apparent attempt to placate settlers over the construction slowdown, Netanyahu has proposed including tens of thousands of settlers, including many living in isolated settlements deep in the West Bank, in a government program that bestows monetary incentives on residents and businesses.
The move has drawn criticism from Netanyahu's coalition partner, the centrist Labor Party, which has indicated it will vote against the move at a Cabinet meeting next week.






Maybe Israel/jews just hate them so much that they want them to suffer until the world finally lets them go ahead and kill them.
Yours In Christ,
I swear the Pales would try the patience of Christ, mother Teresa, and Gandi. They attack Israel even though it hurts them more than the Jews. How people blame Israel for this conflict is beyond me. I guess those who choose to re-wright history to fit their ideas have no problem re-writing the present for the same reason. Try picking up a real book on the history of the area, one that is not just anti-Semitic propaganda , and you may actually learn something. Nah, probably not. Prejudice is stronger than truth, is it not?
The Israeli Foreign Ministry notes that among the accomplishments achieved thus far are: an agreement regarding property and other taxes, an agreement regarding the clergy and payment of Social Security, an agreement about their status and ability to avail themselves of the court system, and the right of Israel to appropriate lands currently under the control of the Church. Israel will maintain its prerogative to requisition lands for the country's infrastructure needs, according to Israeli law and per the sovereignty of the state. Even thou not one country recognizes Jerusalem is the capitol of Israel and the world considers east Jerusalem as occupied land. Another word Israel will eradicates the Church from Jerusalem and all other religions. Why is the USA defending the Zionist and Settlers?