Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
A grapevine belonging to an Israeli farmer in Hebron that was chopped down on January 23, 2019. (Honenu)
Police opened an investigation on Wednesday into the destruction of a vineyard in Hebron, which Israelis say was carried out by neighboring Palestinians.
A Jewish farmer from the Tel Rumeida neighborhood arrived at his field to find dozens of grapevines chopped down and irrigation pipes damaged.
The Honenu legal aid organization representing the farmer claimed the vandalism was carried out by Palestinians, who had received an IDF permit early Wednesday morning to tend to their olive trees located in an adjacent field.
The army did not immediately respond to The Times of Israel’s request for comment.
A grapevine belonging to an Israeli farmer in Hebron that was chopped down on January 23, 2019. (Honenu)
Hebron and its environs are a frequent flashpoint, with the southern West Bank city divided between Israeli and Palestinian control and the two populations often coming into contact with each other.
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Some 15 miles south, Palestinians in the village of Tuwani reported earlier this month that Israeli settlers chopped down 15 olive trees and spray-painted “Death to Arabs” on a large stone at the scene. There too, police opened an investigation, but an arrest has yet to be made.
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