Anti-Islamic graffiti found in northern Arab town

Anti-Muslim graffiti was found spray-painted on the wall of a mosque in the Israeli Arab town Baqa al-Gharbiya on Sunday morning in a suspected “price tag” attack, prompting hundreds of residents to take to the streets in protest.

The words “Mohammed is a pig,” “mutual responsibility” and “terror stones” were found on the mosque, alongside some light structural damage. The windows of several nearby cars were also found broken following the overnight vandalism.

Police said they had opened an investigation into the incident.

Sheikh Kiri Achsander, the imam of the defaced mosque, told Ynet Sunday that residents felt “anger” and “rage” at the vandalism, and were frustrated because the “government still does not take proper care of such incidents, thus encouraging racists to continue these actions, damaging the sanctity of holy places and the Prophet Mohammed.”

The term “price tag” is used by Jewish extremists to describe vandalism or attacks typically carried out against non-Jews or their property, ostensibly as retribution for Palestinian terror attacks or Israeli government actions deemed contrary to settler interests.