Mosque in northern Israel in 'price tag' arson attack

[Gerald]

A mosque in northern Israel has been torched and sprayed with graffiti, in a suspected attack by Jewish extremists.

Hundreds of residents from the village of Tuba-Zangariya marched in protest against the attack, and there were reports of clashes with the police.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he was "outraged" by images from the village.

Police said it appeared to be a "price tag" attack - a reference to a violent campaign by Jewish settlers.

The attack on the mosque happened in the early hours of Monday.

"The whole mosque was burnt - the carpet, the books, the Korans, all burnt," the village imam, Fuad Zangariya, told Israel's Army Radio.

The words "Revenge", "Price Tag" and "Palmer" were reported to have been written in Hebrew on the mosque walls.

The latter was an apparent reference to a car crash on 23 September in which Israeli settler Asher Palmer and his one-year-old son were killed after Palestinians threw stones at their car.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15147840


Note: 3 October 2011 Last updated at 10:52 GMT