Police clear East Jerusalem ‘pro-terror garden’

Police on Tuesday said it cleared out a makeshift garden in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras al-Amud where pictures of Palestinian terrorists were hung on trees.

Unnamed suspects “took over” the public garden “without [a] permit,” police said, planting trees and putting up pictures of Palestinian perpetrators of recent attacks against Israeli civilians, soldiers and police forces over the past six months. On a wall near the garden, the vandals sprayed graffiti in support of the attackers.

It is not clear how many trees were planted or how many pictures were placed.

Since October, 29 Israelis and four foreign nationals have been killed in a wave of Palestinian terrorism and violence. At least 188 Palestinians have also been killed, some two-thirds of them while attacking Israelis, and the rest during clashes with troops, according to the Israeli army.

Police officers working with city officials said the trees, photos and graffiti were removed late Tuesday.

“This is an act that glorifies perpetrators of murder and terror and encourages further violence and acts of terror,” police said in a statement.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan commended the police, saying law enforcement “will continue to act decisively against any show of support or incitement to terror anywhere in the country.” He promised to prosecute those who set up the garden.

Police launched an investigation into the incident.

AFP contributed to this report.