Global InformationPrice tag attack policy information
The price tag attack policy (Hebrew: מדיניות תג מחיר), also sometimes referred to as "mutual responsibility" (אחריות הדדית),[1] is the name originally[2][3] given to the attacks and acts of vandalism committed primarily in the occupied West Bank by extremist Israeli settler youths[4] against Palestinian Arabs, and to a lesser extent, against left-wing Israeli Jews,[5] Israeli Arabs, Christians, and Israeli security forces.[6][7][8] The youths officially claim that the acts are committed to "exact a price from local Palestinians or from the Israeli security forces for any action taken against their settlement enterprise".[9][10][11]
B'Tselem has documented many acts of this kind,[8] which have included violent attacks carried out against random Palestinian civilians, burning of mosques and fields, stone throwing, uprooting trees, and incursions into Palestinian villages and land.[12] These actions come as retaliation for Palestinian acts of violence against settlers, or decisions by the Israeli government to curb Jewish construction in the West Bank,[9][13] where 80% of the attacks take place, while some 10–15% take place in the area of Jerusalem.[14] Such vandalism also embraces damaging the property, or injuring members of the Israel Police and the Israel Defense Forces, and defacing the homes of left-wing activists.[5]
The Israel Security Agency, known as Shin Bet, estimates of the extent of the perpetrator group vary: one figure calculates that from several hundred to about 3,000 people implement the price tag policy,[15] while a recent analysis sets the figure at a few dozen individuals, organized in small close-knit and well-organised cells[16] and backed by a few hundred right-wing activists.[17] Yizhar Hess, comparing hate crimes against Arabs in Israel and antisemitic acts against Jews in France, notes that incidents of price tag attacks are proportionately higher, and argues that price tag acts are Israel's antisemitism.[18] The roots of the price tag policy were traced to the August 2005 dismantling of settlements in the Gaza Strip as part of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan. Ever since then, extreme right wing settlers have sought to establish a "balance of terror", in which every state action aimed at them generates an immediate violent reaction.[19] The definition of such acts as terroristic, however, is the subject of considerable political controversy in Israel.[20]
The "price tag" concept and violence have been publicly rejected by Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,[21][22] who have demanded that those responsible be brought to justice. Cabinet member Benny Begin stated: "These people are scoundrels, but we have not been terribly successful in catching them."[23] Many people across the political spectrum in Israel have denounced such attacks[24] and some have made efforts to redress the harm.[25] The attacks are widely reported in the Arab media,[26] and have been strongly condemned by the Organization of the Islamic Conference. The settler leadership have "fiercely condemned" the price tag policy,[27] and the vast majority of Yesha rabbis have expressed their reservations about it.[28] According to Shin Bet, the vast majority of the settlers also reject such actions.[29]
- ^ Amos N. Guiora, Tolerating Intolerance: The Price of Protecting Extremism, Oxford University Press, 2014 p.107.
- ^ Nir Hasson, ‘Jerusalem Christians are latest targets in recent spate of 'price tag' attacks,’ at Haaretz, 21 February 2012.
- ^ Nir Hasson/Associated Press, 'Monastery near Jerusalem defaced in suspected 'price tag' attack,' at Haaretz 21 August 2013.' Jewish extremists originally used the term "price tag" to describe vandalism and violence that targeted Israelis as well as Palestinians and was aimed at preventing or avenging evacuations of West Bank settlers.'
- ^ Mitnick, Joshua (4 October 2011). "Mosque Is Torched in Israel". The Wall Street Journal.
Vandals scrawled "price tag" in Hebrew on a wall outside the mosque, referring to a campaign of retribution by fundamentalist Israeli youths against Palestinians in the West Bank.
- ^ a b Oz Rosenberg, 'Home of Israeli left-wing activist defaced in latest 'price tag' act,' in Haaretz, 12 September 2011.
- ^ Gavlak, Dale (13 May 2014). "'Price Tag' Israeli Extremists Target Christians". Christianity Today. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ Yifa Yaakov, 'Arab Israeli complains of Galilee price tag attack,' The Times of Israel 21 April 2014,
- ^ a b "Background on violence by settlers". B'Tselem. 1 January 2011. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013.
In recent years, settlers have carried out violent acts under the slogan "price tag". These are acts of violence aimed at the Palestinian population and Israeli security forces.
- ^ a b Uri Friedman, The 'Price Tag' Menace: Vigilante Israeli Settler Attacks Spread Archived 6 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine, at The Atlantic Wire, 3 October 2011:'The New York Times defines price tag attacks as incidents in which radical Jewish settlers "exact a price from local Palestinians or from the Israeli security forces for any action taken against their settlement enterprise".'
- ^ Isabel Kershner, Mosque Set on Fire in Northern Israel, at New York Times, 3 October 2011:'The attack followed a series of similar assaults on mosques in the West Bank by arsonists suspected of being radical settlers as part of a campaign known as "price tag", which seeks to exact a price from local Palestinians for violence against settlers or from Israeli security forces for taking action against illegal construction in Jewish outposts in the West Bank.'
- ^ Ben Schott, 'Schott's Vocab: A Miscellany of Modern Words & Phrases,' in New York Times,24 July 2009:'Attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank protesting against the actions of the Israeli army.'
- ^ John Lyons, Moral Minority in The Australian, 17 September 2011:'Some settlers practice a "price tag" policy: if the Israeli government does something they do not like, such as trying to close an illegal outpost, they in turn punish Palestinians, by poisoning or burning olive trees, desecrating mosques or attacking cars..'
- ^ Anshel Pfeffer & Chaim Levinson Israeli settlers' council condemns 'marginal group' behind vandalism at IDF base, in Haaretz, 7 September 2011: 'This was the first "price tag" act extremist settlers have implemented against the army since adopting their policy of seeking retribution to exact for any curb on Israeli construction in the West Bank. Extremists adopted their "price tag" policy to demonstrate discontent with the government's decision to freeze construction in West Bank settlements, but have directed their operations thus far at Palestinians.'
- ^ Chaim Levinson, 'Israel Police creates unit to fight 'price tag' attacks - but only in West Bank,' at Haaretz 26 June 2013
- ^ Chezki Ezra, GSS hills activists engaged in "price tag" debate", in Arutz Sheva, 11 February 2008.
- ^ Reuters, Facts about "Price Tag" attacks blamed on Jewish settlers Archived 10 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine, 3 October 2011.
- ^ Eli Ashkenazi, Amos Harel and DPA 'Israel Police on high alert as clashes ensue following mosque arson,' in Haaretz, 4 October 2011.
- ^ Yizhar Hess, 'Price tag' is Israel's anti-Semitism Price tag' is Israel's anti-Semitism,'] Ynet 8 May 2014:'Relatively, there are more hate incidents against Arabs in Israel than hate incidents against Jews in France. . .When one examines these numbers courageously, the earth starts moving. Nearly eight million residents live in Israel. On average, we are talking about one anti-Semitic incident per 400,000 people... Even France, which had the highest number of anti-Semitic incidents in 2013, recorded 116 incidents. With its 66 million residents, we are talking about one incident per 600,000 people.'
- ^ Amos Harel ANALYSIS / The extreme right has sought to establish a 'balance of terror', in Haaretz, 11 March 2008.
- ^ 'Meretz head Gal-On blasts AG over cabinet’s lesser categorization of 'price tag’ attacks,' at Haaretz, 16 February 2014.
- ^ Lazaroff, Tovah (2 June 2013). "Netanyahu vows to stop price-tag, racist attacks". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ Keinon, Herb; Lazaroff, Tovah (9 March 2011). "Netanyahu condemns settlers' 'price tag' violence". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday condemned alleged violence carried out by far-Right activists in the past week under the guise of the so-called "price tag" reprisal policy, saying the whole concept was completely unacceptable.
- ^ Ethan Bronner, Amid Statehood Bid, Tensions Simmer in West Bank, in The New York Times, 23 September 2011.
- ^ Raanan Ben-Zur, 'Suspect arrested in Tuba Zangaria mosque arson,' in Ynet, 6 October 2011.
- ^ Pfeffer, Anshel (14 December 2009). "Chief Rabbi: Palestinian Mosque Burning Harkens to Kristallnacht". Haaretz. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
- ^ "AFP: Islamic Conference condemns mosque desecration". Retrieved 19 April 2017.
- ^ Ethan Bronner, Amid Statehood Bid, Tensions Simmer in West Bank, The New York Times, 23 September 2011, p.1:"The settler leadership has fiercely condemned 'price tag', saying it does not represent the vast majority of their community".
- ^ Nadav Shragai, 'The new policy of the settlers: "price tag" on any evacuation of the army', (Hebrew) in Haaretz, 3 October 2008: "The settlers' establishment and the vast majority of the Yesha Rabbis express reservations about it."
- ^ Eli Ashkenazi, Amos Harel and DPA Israel Police on high alert as clashes ensue following mosque arson in Haaretz, 4 October 2011.