Monday, January 18, 2010

Israeli police have arrested 10 Jewish settlers as part of investigations into an arson attack on a West Bank mosque

Police carried out a pre-dawn raid on the Yitzhar settlement, near the Palestinian town Yasuf, where the mosque was attacked in December 2009. Of the 10 people arrested on suspicion of damaging Palestinian property four were minors and would be released soon, Israeli police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said. The other six, who included Zvi Sukkot of Yitzhar, Eliran Elgali of Yitzhar and Shlomo Gilbert of Elon Moreh, all 20 years old, were still being questioned, he said. Witnesses told local media about 100 police entered the settlement, some of whom forced their way into the Od Yosef Hai yeshiva, or Jewish seminary. The head of the yeshiva, Rabbi Yitzhak Shapiro, published a book in 2009 which says it is permissible for Jews to kill non-Jews if their presence "causes danger to Jews" - including children "if it is clear they will grow up to harm us". In the December 2009 attack, graffiti was sprayed in Hebrew on the mosque wall which read: "Get ready to pay the price," Israeli public radio reported. Another read: "We will burn you all." Some hard-line settlers say they will attack Palestinians in retaliation for any Israeli government measure they see as threatening Jewish settlements.

Related:

Even Non-Jewish Children Must be Killed - Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira

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