'Price tag' suspects vandalize Muslim cemetery

Vandals angry over demolition of homes in W. Bank spray-painted words, Jewish stars on 10 gravestones in Muslim cemetery in J'lem.

Workers clean price tag from Muslim cemetary, J'lem_311 (photo credit: Reuters)
Workers clean price tag from Muslim cemetary, J'lem_311
(photo credit: Reuters)
“Price-tag” vandals angry over the demolition of homes in the West Bank outpost of Ma’aleh Rehavam targeted a historic Muslim cemetery in downtown Jerusalem overnight Wednesday.

The vandals spray-painted the words “Ma’aleh Rehavam,” “Price Tag” and Stars of David on 10 gravestones in the Muslim cemetery on Agron Street next to the Mamilla mall.By mid-morning, the municipality’s anti-graffiti team had already worked to remove the spray paint.Police opened an investigation into the incident.The term “price-tag attack” refers to when right-wing extremists vandalize army or Arab property whenever the IDF takes steps against settlements, to illustrate that there is a “price” for anti-settlement activity.The cemetery across from Independence Park has Muslim graves dating to the 12th century, according to activists trying to preserve the cemetery from development and the construction of the Museum of Tolerance.The vandals were angry about the demolition of nine homes in the outpost of Ma’aleh Rehavam – located next to the settlement of Nokdim in Gush Etzion – which is part of a Peace Now petition to evacuate six West Bank outposts built without authorization.