Shin Bet: ‘Price tag’ attacks on sharp rise from previous year

The Shin Bet security service releases statistics showing far-right activists’ attacks on Palestinians have increased significantly since the beginning of 2018.

Through the first nearly four months of the current calendar year, the Shin Bet documented 13 “price tag” attacks. This was opposed to eight such incidents in the entirety of 2017.

“Price tag” refers to violence and other hate crimes carried out by Jewish ultra-nationalists ostensibly in retaliation for Palestinian violence or government policies perceived as hostile to the settler movement.

Attacks characterized as “at least as serious as arson” are also on pace to eclipse those from last last year. Thus far in 2018, two such attacks have been carried out; while in 2017 the final tally for them was five.

While last year saw 105 indictments filed against the far-right activists, this year has seen 23 to date.

The Shin Bet statistics show that Israeli authorities have continued in their practice of employing administrative orders in response to the violence, largely carried out by young settlers known as hilltop youth.

Administrative orders can include detention, bans from entering the entire West Bank, and bans on contacting certain individuals, as well as nightly curfews.

In 2017, 63 administrative orders were issued by Israel Police. Thus far in 2018, 13 such orders have been employed.