Opposition from Jewish settlers against a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians culminated in accusations of a mosque being set ablaze in the West Bank, where the Koran was burned and threats were inscribed in Hebrew on the walls.
At the entrance of the smoke-damaged mosque in Beit Fajjar, situated south of Bethlehem, a warning was noted: ‘Mosques we burn’. This incident transpired on the same day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged for restraint to prevent the breakdown of US peace negotiations.
The mosque’s green carpet had been charred to a blackened crust in multiple areas where kerosene was applied and ignited early that morning.
The fire resulted in damage to a dozen copies of the Koran.
According to Palestinians, several Jewish settlers were implicated in the assault.
“The settlers’ message is to ‘Terrorize the Palestinian people’,” stated Mohammed Hussein, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, who arrived to assess the damage and interact with the local community.
Such violence risks complicating US-led initiatives aimed at maintaining the integrity of Middle East peace discussions, which commenced merely a month ago.
These negotiations fell into turmoil last week following the expiration of a 10-month moratorium on construction within Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
