JERUSALEM (JTA) — Unidentified vandals slashed the tires of 21 cars in an eastern Jerusalem neighborhood in an apparent “price tag” attack.
The early Monday morning attack in Beit Hanina, a Palestinian neighborhood, included graffiti such as a Star of David and the statement “We do not remain silent in the face of stone throwing.” The phrase “price tag” did not appear among the graffiti, according to reports.
Police reportedly have no suspects. It is the fourth suspected price tag attack in the past month.
“We cannot accept this lawlessness in our midst,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday. “We are acting against it with a strong hand and we will continue to do so.”
“Price tag” refers to the strategy that extremist settlers and their supporters have adopted to avenge Palestinian attacks on Jews and for settlement freezes and demolitions. Several price tag attacks in recent months also have targeted Christian sites.
The attack comes less than a week after a similar attack on the Arab-Israeli town of Abu Ghosh.
Israel’s security Cabinet recently labeled price tag attackers as an illegal organization but stopped short of calling them terrorists. The new classification will make it easier for the authorities to prosecute the perpetrators of such attacks, according to reports.
