JERUSALEM, January 16, 2012 (WAFA) – Several members of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, support violent acts by extremist Israelis involved in the “price tag” operations carried out by Jewish settlers in the West Bank, according to charges by an Israeli lawmaker published Monday.

Member of Knesset Zahava Gal-On, of the leftist Meretz party, Sunday asked the Knesset Ethics Committee to investigate ties between right-wing Knesset members and the extremist settlers, according to the Israeli daily Haaretz.

She charged that the right wing lawmakers, including the chairman of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, openly praised acts of the settlers during a committee session attended by some of the extremist settlers, some of whom were later banned from entering the West Bank for their role in the price tag attacks and one was later arrested on suspicion of arson of a mosque in Israel.

She said a wanted extremist was arrested outside the Knesset when he was trying to enter the building at the invitation of a lawmaker from the right-wing National Union.

Gal-On even accused a lawmaker from the ruling Likud, who is also coalition chairman, of undermining Israeli army activities in the occupied territories by passing on information to settler leaders. The lawmaker had openly admitted to doing that and intends to continue doing it.

Several world governments, including the United States, had asked the Israeli government to pursue and prosecute members of the price tag organization involved in violent acts against Palestinian civilians and property in the West Bank.

M.S.