JERUSALEM, January 14, 2015 (WAFA) – Israeli settlers Wednesday broke into the Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Safafa, slashing the tires of almost 11 cars owned by Palestinians and spraying anti-Arab graffiti, according to local sources.

Locals said settlers from the terrorist group “price tag” broke into the neighborhood in the late night hours, before slashing the tires of the cars and spraying anti-Arab graffiti.

According to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, Israeli security forces do not always deploy in advance to protect Palestinians from settler violence, even when such violence could be anticipated. “In some cases, rather than restricting violent settlers, Israeli security forces impose restrictions on the Palestinians.”

The term 'price tag,' was coined by settlers and they explained its meaning in media interviews.

B’Tselem says that on July 24, 2008, for example, after Israeli security forces removed a bus that had been placed in the Adey Ad outpost, the head of the settlers' struggle headquarters in Yitzhar was quoted in Ha'aretz as saying, 'the police have to understand that there will be a very high price tag for any incident of this kind.'

He described the harm to Palestinians as 'a display of good citizenship that was intended to help the police enforce the planning and building laws in the area on Palestinians.'

On November 15, 2008, after the Federman Farm outpost was evacuated, Eliezer Melamed, the rabbi of the Har Bracha settlement, was quoted on the NRG, Maariv newspaper website as saying, 'the price tag policy appears to be very effective and the security establishment is doing everything it can to break it.'

“As the occupying power in the West Bank, Israel is obligated to maintain public order and ensure the safety of the Palestinians in the West Bank, who are classified a protected population in international law,” says B’Tselem.

M.N/M.H