Cars, homes vandalized in rash of suspected hate crime attacks
Tires slashed and ‘price tag’ slogan daubed near East Jerusalem neighborhood of Shuafat, Galilee village of Na’ura
Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
Dozens of vehicles were vandalized with graffiti and slashed tires in suspected hate crime attacks in East Jerusalem and the Galilee, police said Tuesday morning.
Some 20 cars were found vandalized on Route 21 in East Jerusalem, along the border between the Jewish ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo and the Arab Shuafat neighborhood.
The words “price tag,” a right-wing slogan used in racially motivated attacks, were daubed on some vehicles and several tires were slashed, according to police. Cars were also spray painted with the words “Pikar the king” and “administrative price tag.”
A wall in the neighborhood was also spray painted with the words “Mohammed is an administrative pig.”
The graffiti was in apparent reference to Elkana Pikar, a resident of the hard-line settlement of Yitzhar seen as a leader of young right-wing Jewish extremists known as the hilltop youth.
Several protests have been held in recent days over reported plans for Pikar to be issued an “administrative” restraining order keeping him from the West Bank for several months.
In the Galilee village of Na’ura, walls of homes were found with price tag graffiti and eight cars had tires slashed, police said later Tuesday morning.
“Administrative revenge” was found painted on the walls, in possible reference to Pikar.
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Police said they opened an investigation into the incidents and would expend “all resources” they have to catch the perpetrators.
So-called price tag attacks, usually arson and graffiti, have been carried out by Jewish extremists against non-Jews and against IDF targets in response to terror attacks as well as Israeli policies they deem unfavorable.
Attacks, once a fairly common occurrence, have faded in recent years following a police crack down on right-wing extremist groups.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
