Jerusalem ‘price tag’ cases doubled in 2012, police say

Fifty-six “price tag” attacks against Palestinians occurred in Jerusalem and the surrounding area over the past year, police reported Sunday, but charges have yet to be filed against a single suspect in any of the incidents.

According to the report, in only 12 of the incidents were suspects detained.

The number of incidents marks a 100 percent rise since 2011, when 28 cases were recorded, police said.

Price tag is a term used by right-wing Jewish extremists to describe revenge attacks carried out against the Palestinian population as “punishment” for Israeli government decisions they perceive as being oriented against settlers.

A police spokesman said any attack with nationalistic motives was counted as a price tag attack in the tally.

In January, police set up a special task force to deal with price tag attacks.

In late November, Haaretz reported that a European Union committee of Middle East experts recommended that the EU explore the option of drawing up a list of violent members of Israel’s settler movement, who could be blacklisted and denied entry to the 27 European Union member states.

According to a classified document acquired by the Israeli daily, the EU “considers settler violence as the biggest security threat to its personnel in the West Bank” and it appears to be “part of a pattern of coercion aimed at forcing Palestinian communities in Area C [West Bank areas under Israeli control] to leave with a view to expanding settlements or outposts.”

Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have repeatedly condemned price tag acts, demanding that those responsible for committing such acts be brought to justice.