BRUSSELS, September 6, 2011 (WAFA) – European Union foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, strongly condemned in a statement issued Monday Jewish settlers’ arson of a mosque in a West Bank village, according to Ashton’s spokesperson.

“The High Representative strongly condemns the setting on fire and vandalizing of the Al-Noreen mosque in Qusra in the West Bank on Monday,” said the statement.

“Attacks against places of worship undermine the freedom of religion or belief which is a fundamental human right,” said Ashton, calling on the Israeli authorities “to investigate the attack, bring the perpetrators to justice and prevent such attacks happening again.”

Ashton said that “these provocations seriously undermine efforts to build the necessary trust for a comprehensive peace in the region,” stressing that the EU will continue to work for a peaceful and negotiated resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Jewish settlers attacked the mosque as part of a revenge act against Palestinian civilians to retaliate against Israeli army eviction of settlers from Migron, a settlement outpost near Ramallah. Settlers also set olive trees and fields on fire in several West Bank villages and attacked Palestinian commuters on West Bank roads passing near settlements as part of their revenge acts.

M.A.