RAMALLAH, Monday, July 27, 2020 (WAFA) – A Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) official today strongly condemned the Israeli settlers’ arson of a mosque in the West Bank city of al-Bireh, saying that Israeli settlers are stoking the flames of religious strife.

“We strongly condemn the mosque arson attack committed this morning by a group of Israeli settlers. The settlers, who came from a nearby illegal Israeli settlement, raided the Palestinian city of Al-Bireh during dawn and set fire to the Al-Bir Wal-Ihsan Mosque and sprayed racist hateful slurs,” member of the PLO Executive Committee Hanan Ashrawi stated in a press release.

“Past experiences prove that settler terrorism is almost never prosecuted by Israeli authorities, and many of these attacks take place under the protection of Israeli occupation forces. Amid a global pandemic, settler terrorism is increasing at a fast rate, with absolutely no form of accountability or restraints,” she added.

“The right-wing Israeli government is pandering to its extremist base by inciting against Palestinians and by fanning the flames of religious strife and enmity in the region,” she warned.

She urged “the international community to provide protection for the defenseless Palestinian population under occupation from both Israeli forces as well as the settler militias.”

K.T./ K.F.