Netanyahu to officials: Catch 'criminals' behind mosque attack

Mosques lose their Holy status when they're used to conceal arms & terrorists, most especially when their Minarets are used for snipers vantage points As such they become just targets You simply can't hid behind schools & Mosques when they're being used for purposes that they weren't intended to be used for But, that's an old story, you guys use yoru civilians for shields all the time Just ask, I'll forward a few examples for your perusal

It could just as well have been a Muslim that did the deed In Iraq, the burn down each others Mosques all the time First you have to find who did it Second, how was a Jew able to enter an Arab village undetected to do it, while it would have been rather easy for a fellow Arab to commit the arson

"Rabbi Compares West Bank Mosque Attack to Kristallnacht One of the two most senior religious leaders of Israel's Jewish community, Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger, paid a visit on Monday to the West Bank village of Yasuf, where a mosque was set on fire and covered with Hebrew graffiti last week." In the news now. How about Netanyahu?

" Surely we are better than this?" Jews yes. Zionists and settlers NO! Face it people. Settlers will start killing other Israelis in order to protect their situation. You have created a monster and now you have to deal with it.

The pattern of officials turning a blind eye, enabling, and sometimes provoking criminal activity by settlers against Palestinians reminds me of the situation in the US South after slavery was abolished. Yes, the blacks were "free" however the instruments of state stood idly by during the ongoing racist reign of terror by "them good ol' boys" against the blacks, who like the Pal's were often seen as sub-human and alien by their aggressors. And before anyone claims that the US hasn't really changed, ask yourself how many years it will be before Israel has an Arab prime minister?

1) So far at lest: No proof found regarding the identity of those who vandalized the Mosque ? 2) According to another talkback here; a Rabbi presented a copy of the Koran to an Immam as a token of regret & apology. That begs the question; no such thing happen when a Synagogue was vandalized by the Palestinians when Israel withdraw from Gaza !

How about most of the mosques that Israel bombed directly during the Gaza onslaught early this year, on the pretext they were hiding ammunition- of which nothing was found? Some of the mosques were bombed while people were praying in them.(see the Goldstone Report) This is why the settlers are emboldened to act with total impunity. Even a year later, Gaza is dying by a slow genocide -under total blockade - with no building materials let alone proper food, water, and fuel allowed in. This total blockade must be lifted immediately -and those extremist settlers and settlements in the West Bank removed - rather than awarded extra funds as Netanyahu is arranging to do.

from your polished perch in london? what you're implying is that in order to love israel, one must be a closeminded racist who believes NOT in human rights and justice, and whose heart is devoid of human empathy...and/or close one's eyes to manifestations of the same. esther's love for israel is above question to anyone who follows her posts... just as your human values are questionable to any who follow yours. do have a nice day, akram. p.s.-can one assume, by your comments regarding "forgiveness", that you have no issues with including barghouti in the shalit prisoner exchange?

can the idf knock down the settler houses that did this

I cannot believe Israel is pursuing these settler criminals, and I hope they face true justice. Don't ask me the odds on that, though. Of course these criminals would set upon innocents to pay the price of their anger, rather than the government. Typical bully behaviour, and it show their true cowardice of these settlers.

They left here because they preferred Israel to the US. Why would we want them back?

We saw Kahane, Goldstein, etc entering a mosque and spraying bullets on people praying, we know everything you zionist have done in the last 60 years, and we should wait for what? Who gains by setting fire to a mosque? I have been waiting for some one of you poor "victims" blowing up the AL Asqa, and watching you taking vengeance upon those who mass killed people from your religion and you did so to get money! Now you have squeezed all the cows dry and now you only great money from the US in the greatest manipulation in history and land from innocent people and you still want money. How much did you selle your grandmother for How much did you get for your soul??????

I find it outrageous to the tilt that a Jew insults another Jew (Jewess) because she cannot forgive her country for the baaaaaad things it does to the innocent Palestinians, guilty of living in their own land. Do not complain at anyone desecrating your holy buildings.

i do not envision you being especially keen on the settler movement...hence my first comment to question your wording. your response prompted my curiousity, and my second post...which afterwards i realized could be taken as antagonism. i sincerely hope it was not. have a good day, yosemite.

I don't believe you ? 'Love' don't makes one jump the gun and begs for excuses to blame ! Isn't that what you are doing in all that you write ? Only enemies do things like that ! Love is forgiving Esther, but you neither forgive nor forget !

"Peres added: "It can't be that an extremist group endangers the status of Israel as a state that abides laws and respects religions." It seems Peres is not concerned that it was a terrible desecration of a house of worship only that it "endangers the status of Israel." It's always about Israel.

No justice or peace will come from Israel. It has nurtured the hatred within the settlements and is fearful of offending the settlers. In Israel's and the USA's eyes the Palestinians are expendable.

... in any guise... particularly chronic terrorism...

Nope. Not settlers. One, a Man is a Doctor at Tel HaShomer Hospital. The other is a Woman. I don't know what she does.

Steve from Raleigh would have you believe the Palestinian is heartless for offering this daily sacrifice. But the Israeli appetite is insatiable and won't be sated even when every Palestinian is consumed.

Justice for him means wrong is right. Can that be?

Well done Brod.

The fire in Reichstag in 1939 , which was sett by Germans themselves to blame the Jews , gave us Cristalnacht . Who knows , maybe this outrage was a pali job . Many mosques are being blown up in terror acts in Arab/Muslim countries murdering hundreds , so they are very well capable of doing such a things . Lets wait with conclusions , and if it was a Jew , he should be prosecuted within the law . No one demands white glove treatments here .

and i may be wrong for assuming... but generally speaking, when you smell the distinctly pungent scent of a skunk, there's little doubt that one's in the vicinity. it tends to accompany them wherever they go. haven't you ever noticed the wide berth you're given, ben?

when the settlers(kicking and screaming), are forced from the west bank! no mercy...and certainly NOT any sympathy.

Netanyahu and Barak need to put their words into action and stop the extremists before they do something crazy and blow up the Al Aksa mosque, which will result in hundreds of innocent Israeli men, women, and children losing their lives. Netanyahu needs his own Atalena moment. The sickness that caused the assassination of Rabin has not been eradicated; it has grown and it is a cancer that will destroy Israel. I read the comments on this site and see hundreds of people defending mosques and olive groves being destroyed. These people are a stain against Judiasm and Zionism and must be stopped.

If really they are the settlers, then they should be deported back to he United States because most of these setlers are from there and have been causing a lot of problems for the Israeli government and the peace process. This cannot be tolerated.

I cannot but feel ashamed to be Caadian!

I thought that the criminals in Palestine were the Palestinians....The zionists are the real criminals and Netanyahu is the boss........? Oh my God!

You need not to mix it with the truth ! There are millions who don't agree with ! They can't be all wrong !

Those who said what you write on your post can only have an ugly face that they can't hide till the truth is known !

... and the identity of the criminals must be identified no matter how much money & time it will cost ! ... Israel is winning simply because of its good name & reliability among the nations of the world. Such a scare must be erased !

Keep stealing land,keep subjugating Palestininans, keep breaking International law and fail in your obligations. Keep twisting the truth,keep self righteously and indignantly claiming no blame...keep doing ALL those things you have been doing for sixty years...just do. I fully applaud and support Israel in ALL its actions.....Why?.....Stand back and take a good objective look at yourselves.....you have little support Internationally if any at all and your standing has plummetted since Cast Lead......sane people would recognise their folly and right the wrongs.....Israel proclaims a divine right to be Kamikaze State of the year...century even. It acts as an insult to the statehood it was granted. I applaud you! If that is what's needed to bring Israel down to earth...so be it.....God's will not mine.

attack on German barracks where Nazi attackers were wearing uniforms of Polish army to justify following declaration of war. We know that Muslims have no problem to attacks churches,Temples...and mosques so there are more groups of interest than just settlers who can be seen as possible culprits here. Are all those "condemnations" of settlers intended to divert people from this possibility?

From all information we have here, the worst and most virulent settlers are Jews from the US and UK.

He does not serve Israel's interests and his actions toward his own people are criminal in nature.

sinagogues burning perpetrators that happened on multiple occasions. How came no one complains when muslims kill and burn Jewish houses of warship and their property. I have do not approve what was done but I am not crying about it either...

This is just too beyond the pale. His perfidy is just so obvious it makes everyone laugh --or cry--depending on your sensitivity quotient. Only the most egregious settler behavior is ever condemned by Israel, and then only if it is caught on tape or otherwise shown by irrefutable evidence that can't be covered up quickly. Most settler crimes are simply rewarded. The world sees; the world condemns. Israel walks in shame. A once moral state stands in the dock!

Let's wait untill perpetrators are brougt to Justice. We don't know who are they. They may be settlers or Arabs as well.

Jews bulldozed 420 palestinian villages and the cemetery of each in 1948.Begin actually wrote about it!Grow up,this is 2009,the world has changed and much ofit has learned.

I fell sure Great Britain has its share of right-wing,extremist,terrorists who colonize the west bank just as the U.S.has the same scum that leave here to do the same.

Having a jolly old time watching the jewish self haters and arab sympathizers freak out over incident.Last i checked,the lynching of jews has begun yet nothing has been proven!!!

How sad to see the kind of argument you proffer. Who said the Palestinians had anything to do with the Holocaust. Not me. All I asked was where were all the bleeding hearts for the Jews then? When the Irgun blew up the King David Hotel (actually just one tiny corner of it), the place was occupied by the British Military which had double crossed the Jews more than once, And, where were you, indeed, when the Palestinians blew up the grandparents and babies on that Passover; or at the Sbarro or all the other times innocent israelis were torn to shreds by the "martyrs" of those you support? Perhaps you missed my agreement that the attack on the West BanK mosque was inexcusable. What you clearly can't seem to fathom is my condemnation of people like you ...who reserve your condemnations only for Israel but are silent whenever Israel or the Jews are subjected to much, much worse than what happened at that mosque.

Hate being preached?Read "Murder In The Name Of God"written by two Israelis.They detail the absolute hate taught in the ultra-religious yeshivs.They teach it is permissible and desirable to kill gentiles.The book is about Amir the terrorist that murdered Rabin.The extremists "settlers"(land thieves)are vicious,brutal,and roam with a free reign.

Why do they call these racist people extremists, when they are really terrorists.Why does israelis society and the international are so quick to term Islamic movement terroists. Actually the settlers terrorists have cause must damage and crimes to Palestinians, than Israel will admit.The problem with taking action against some of the terrorists, Israel's police and politicians live amongst these thugs and criminals. I see no diffeence between settler terrorists and a Islamic terrorist.

Yes Oriana Fallaci is a great source of actual information. She wrote that European Muslims breed like rats...she is of course a credible source of information. not a islamophobic racist moron...NOOOOOO

Muslims and Arabs have been known to attack mosques and even kill praying people when it serves their purpose. It just happened again last week in Pakistan. I do not claim that the perpetrators in the West Bank were Palestinians, but there is a chance that they have staged this despicable act to gain world sympathy. After all Palywood is well known to exist. The point here is to wait until the investigation is complete before blaming the settlers.

Absolutely! Of course. But, let's see...what year are we talking about? 2099? 4010? When the moon falls out of the sky? When the sun burns the earth?

radical and extreme condemnations over an isolated incident that costed no life , nor siplled blood and neither physical injury . Dhimmedias reports pressure Israelis officials for investigation disproportional to the isolated incident . We heard such disproportion only over the tel aviv gay center insolved incident . when arabs destroy synaguogues and kill jews we never hear israeli officials pressing with such urgency the security forces .

While this is a despicable crime that most Israelis and other people with a moral compass condemn, I am not surprised that it occurred. The Israeli Government has treated the Settlers differently than other people living in Israel and the Territories. Unfortunately, all are not equal under the law here in Israel.

You said: "The torching of any mosques in any country is a despicable digusting [sic] crime exceipt[sic] if the perpetrators are one of their own" Wrong. The torching of any mosque is despicable and disgusting no matter who did it. No exceptions.

Netanyahu and Barak need to put their words into action. The day will come when the extremists blow up the Al Aksa mosque and then hundreds of innocent Israeli men, women, and children will be murdered. This does not have to be if the government and law enforcement wage a serious campaign against the extremists. The worn and tired and without merit argument that because Arabs murder Jews it is perfectly okay to destroy Palestinian olive groves, homes, cars, and now mosques, is going to cause too many innocent people to lose their lives. Netanyahu needs his own Atalena moment and has to summon the courage for it. The sickness that caused the assassination of Rabin has not been eradicated, it has grown, and it is a cancer that will destroy Israel. Stop the extremists now!

It is telling and chilling that they burned a Mosque and defaced it with the swatika. I am disgusted at this act and I hope the perpetrators are found and thrown in jail. What are they doing Krystalnacht? Disgusting. Israel must rebuild what was destroyed immediately.

Lets see what the investigation shows before we leap to any conclusions. In the past Western leftists have been caught dressing up as Orthodox Jews and vandalizing Arab property, then calling it into the authorities blaming a nearby Jewish community. Its also unlikey that actual Jews would be able to get around in an Arab town without being noticed or that Jews. due to the cultural taboos, would ever use "crematoria" references. However, its precisely what leftists THINK they'd write, so I suspect foriegn activists.

What a scam. Even the thought that theses terrorists might be brought to justice is a joke. Just a PR stunt to cover the ugly and real face of Israel. I am about to vomit.

Christians in Jerusalem want Jews to stop spitting on them. (Haaretz)

spraying Nazi slogans in Hebrew on the premises. Any wording, please? 17 @ 16 It said Heil Netanyahu.

MUST rein in settlers' "brutal" actions. OK, then agreed, that seems fair and just. But also President Mahmoud Abbas needs to likewize rein in palistinian terrorist when they shoot rockets into Israel. Has he done that yet?

when the settlers(kicking and screaming), are forced from the west bank! no mercy...and certainly NOT any sympathy.

you'd think that if yasuf was such a smoldering bed of muslim extremists, we'd hear more about it in the news.

....you would first need to have a Jewish candidate. And a slightly more "visible" one than good old Joe Lieberman...:)

Well, I am not really convinced that that is true. I mean many Palestinians can't even pray in the churches and mosques in Jerusalem if they are from the West Bank. Their freedom of worship is, thus, curtailed. Many mosques were destroyed when Israel was created. I am not saying that synagogues were never destroyed by Muslims in the past. I am sure it has happened. However, this was a functioning mosque. People actually pray in it. The Palestinian people themselves are not treated with any real humanity. They are mind objects, not considered people, things to be moved out of the way, ethnic cleansed like Raffi Eitan once said. Israel pretends to itself that it has morality. Maybe, some people who are naive in America buy that. Most people don't.

... Dave, it's the only face Israel has had for quite some time now... ever since the land-theft began...

Where were you when the Jewish terrorists blew up the King David Hotel ? Where were you when the USS liberty was blown up by the IAF ? Most of us weren't born in 1948 and the Palestinians are not responsible for the Holocaust or any other atrocity that happened to the Jews in Europe. Your post is just more "BUNK"

but lets find out what was the reason .is it burning the tombe of joseph or other locations by palestinian ??

It's a bit late-in-the-day to wake up to that... If the brash lawlessness of settling on the patrimony and ancestral territory of our neighbors, the Pals, was accepted by the government, and even lauded, why such a show of indignation now...?! This is a natural outcome of the criminality inherent in stealing the land of our neighbors.

"Hundreds of Palestinians clashed with Israeli security forces near Yasuf on Friday, after the mosque was damaged.Some rioters hurled rocks at the troops, wounding one police officer." Yes, find the criminals who damaged the mosque and bring them to justice. But I wonder, do you Israel haters (listening Dino and Linthwaite?) believe those Palestinians who threw rocks and wounded a police officer should also face the same justice? Not likely, right guys? Here in Philly if someone wounded an officer he/she'd be in jail mighty fast.

You said the silence is deafening. Speaking of deafening, you hear what you want to hear, don't you? Your hatred of Israel is so strong it negates any opinions you may have to offer. You said: "No wholesale condemnation by Netanyahu or Lieberman about this attack on a Mosque in the occupied West Bank." Can you read? The article states: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday ordered Israel's security branches to find the "criminals" who vandalized a mosque in a West Bank village, joining other Israeli leaders in condemning the incident. "Expose the criminals as soon as possible, and put them on trial," Netanyahu told officials. His comments came shortly after President Shimon Peres urged officials to do everything in their power to bring to justice the people behind attack on Friday, which he said ran contrary to Israel's fundamental values."

it is important to remember that not all israeli people stand behind this act! i think it is terrible and should be treaten!! but we should remember that when the gaza strip was evacuated for peacefull resonses (which didn't help,because there isn't a partner really...) the palestinians burnt and danced over the jewish holy synagogs in what used to be "gush katif" in the gaza strip. and the world said nothig! how is it that 1 religion is holy and the other is not?

Do you have anything that suggests that this mosque was used for any of those purposes? If some mosque is used for something other than praying that doesn't mean that mosques in general are legitimate targets (and not necessarily that particular building either). I bet I could name a synagogue or two where hate and intolerance is preached. That doesn't mean that I think people should go around burning synagogues.

The nightclub bouncer from Moldovia has already threatened to scupper the Shalit deal if anyone is arrested.

I always find it interestng to watch the Moslems dish it out but they hate it when someone does it to them, and they want respect?? Interesting.

The masters of deceptions.

Can a historian be such a poor speller? "If Jews are controlling USA why was there never a Jewish President?" Domestic policy is another matter as there is no simple agreement amongst Jewish groups on domestic issues. Does one need a 'Jewish' President in order to exercise influence over American foreign policy. I don't think so. It might be a self defeating move, inviting criticism. Better to ring fence Congress and have one or two key figures in the administration. Congress itself testifies that AIPAC are the second strongest lobbying group in the US and the strongest on foreign policy. They have the former Likudnik Emanuel as Chief of Staff and Dennis Ross as special adviser on Iran. Very handy.

or the Zionists for destroying over a hundred mosques circa 1948 and after? You're right about hypocrisy.

"Muslims can only live as an oppressive majority or as a turbulent Minority" DR.K.D.Prithi Pal

20:35 Report: German authorities investigating high-tech shipments to Iran (Reuters) the international terrorist cartel is really panicking to find more reasons to terrorize iran dont they? and why are only those countries involved, that fake jew israeli rule them? germany is not ruled by germans but by sectret terrorist fake jewish israeli criminals and masons.

A mosque a an open space building and it is open all day long to believers, israeli informers and definitely iasraeli soldiers it is the least logical choice to store arms.

Right wing extremists are so blind that they do not realize that vandalizing a mosque is thousand times worst for Israel than for Palestine.

Your hypocrisy has long since ceased to amaze me. Have you ever protested at Israel destroying Muslim temples in the Palestinian towns from which all the residents were driven away by Israel?

milosevic and saddam were. and with him should be whole israeli authorities and idf authorities. this is where peres should be and not addressing the holocaust and climate summit.

Israel should bring to justice immediately whoever did this. Burning their trees is also despicable. On the otherhand, after what the Pals did by desecrating the Church of Nativity,(and I'm sure there have been many other incidents against Temples too),it's really difficult to be incensed about it. If the attack was by "settlers" and they're found guilty, their homes must also be bulldozed-that's the penalty established-right? But, if the mosque/church/temple is connected with terrorist attacks (and I've not heard that it was)-It should be bulldozed too.Prompt impartiality and consistency in the adminiatration of the law is what is needed.

Occam's razor ...would mean: that the simplest explanation or strategy (about some phenomenon) tends to be the best one. In short, it is a principle about using the fewest, unnecessary, assumptions. In your case, - "I`ll wait for the facts...anything to bash settlers..." (Avi) You are unable to settle for the simplest explanation; you prefer to "wait"...Actually you prefer to forget, or rather to close your eyes to the fact that the settlers did it! Not we.

Like Dino and azbob always say it's the "occupation" and economic conditions that drive Palestinians to terrorism. If it's Jews, and at this time that has to be proven, it must be the "occupation."

To wrongfully insinuate that Jews did this. Jews aren't capable of such behavior. Reminds me of my days fighting for civil rights for Black people here when everyone tried to blame blacks for everything

That's right John, so they run in packs at night like jackals. In order to protect other settlers from these jackals, security fences should be installed around all settlements and PA gate guards installed. Once the jackals have left, the gates can be re-locked and the PA can deal with them.

Israel has tolerated and sometimes helped the settlement enterprise knowing there are fanatics and criminals -albeit few- among their ranks. They are growing. Frankenstein awoke and it's Israel's responsibility to disconnect this monster.

Everyone on this talkback, as do I, condemns this heinous attack on a house of worship. However, a house of worship should never be a place for the storage of weapons or a platform for the preaching of hate and intolerance.

But who really believes they will? I wish that the malefactors would be brought to justice. But all know that Settlers commit crimes against Arabs with impunity. They know they will not be punished, and thus do as they please. They did not learn this without a lot of experience. Decent Israelis are outraged, but the government is getting ready to shower more welfare on the Settlers. Actions speak louder than words, and that is all we have seen from the government for decades.

this is one of the reasons that i became an athiest after living 3 years in the promised land

The media, politicians, and others should stop pointing fingers until the perpetrators are caught. In my mind, this could have been a Palestinian staged act in order to gain sympathy from the world. Jewish settlers would not go into Arab areas alone for obvious reasons.

urging the Chairman to Get on with UD Independence AQAP and keep the sttlers on the West Bank side,under PA. We should in fact give the Palestinians lots of mOney to discipline these hooligans.

Where were you all when the Jordanians wrecked Jewish Quarter synagogues in 1948 and made urinals out of the stones? Where were you when the armies of Syria and Egypt attacked on Yom Kippur in 1973. Where were you when the Nazis locked Jews in their synagogues and burned them alive? Yes, the settler attack on the Mosque is horrible and inexcusable. But in the context of what has happened to Jewish sanctuaries and Jewws on their Holy Days, it's just a blip.

I don't know who did it, I do hope it was not one of us, in any case whoever did it is despicable.

These people are doing a good job, just showing how the DEMOCRATIC State working. They are raelly the Hamas of Israel, can.t the majority Israelis doing anything about it? I Do feel sorry for the country.

The first was his father, though not as actively pro-Israel. The "Bush" family was originally either "Bushinsky" or "Bushkowitz". Name was shortened to avoid problems and also to allow grandfather and great grandfather of GWB to enter the closely guarded "banking" community which would not have tolerated a Jew at that time and in New England. They have been very carefull to hide this fact, but GWB could not resist giving Israel everything it asked for plus more. No wonder Ariel Sharon sated that GWB was "the best US president Israel ever had"

Can a historian be such a poor speller? "If Jews are controlling USA why was there never a Jewish President?" Domestic policy is another matter as there is no simple agreement amongst Jewish groups on domestic issues. Does one need a 'Jewish' President in order to exercise influence over American foreign policy. I don't think so. It might be a self defeating move, inviting criticism. Better to ring fence Congress and have one or two key figures in the administration. Congress itself testifies that AIPAC are the second strongest lobbying group in the US and the strongest on foreign policy. They have the former Likudnik Emanuel as Chief of Staff and Dennis Ross as special adviser on Iran. Very handy.

guys, people are innocent before proven guilty. are you crazy, all of you. there is not up to now one shred of proof that settlers did it, anyway it is not so simple for them to enter arab willage without arabs knowing that. all story is wery strange to me like dura etc. give time for police investigation.

or the Zionists for destroying over a hundred mosques circa 1948 and after? You're right about hypocrisy.

Can a historian be a such a poor speller? "If Jews are controlling USA why was there never a Jewish President?" Domestic policy is another matter as there is no simple agreement amongst Jewish groups on domestic issues. Does one need a 'Jewish' President in order to exercise influence over American foreign policy. I don't think so. It might be a self defeating move, inviting criticism. Better to ring fence Congress and have one or two key figures in the administration. Congress itself testifies that AIPAC are the second strongest lobbying group in the US and the strongest on foreign policy. They have the former Likudnik Emanuel as Chief of Staff and Dennis Ross as special adviser on Iran. Very handy.

Brad- have you forgotten the many decades of consensus Israel has received from the entire NATION of the USA, and most all of the rest of the world? Have you neglected to really take a look and realize that Israel HAD a consensus, and due to the non-democratic nature of it's actions over the last 42 years has completely wasted it? What most everyone else on the planet finds enlightening is the way which you and others like you can distort reality, in your own minds, so effectively that you essentially demand that others must also delude themselves to fit into your little narrative. Want to get back the credibility which Israel has lost? Simple... remove the settlers, end the occupation of the Palestinian people, establish internationally recognized borders. And no wailing about 'land lost in war'. Unless you don't mind having it happen to Israel in the future. Because without the USA- Israel=toast.

Brad, you seem to be neglecting certain facts regarding the 'moving' of 'terrorists'... you seem to have conveniently left out the major difference between moving the Jewish terrorists out of the West Bank, and removing the Palestinian 'terrorists' from the West Bank and Gaza. Here, let me spell it out for you: The Jewish people who have illegally colonized the West Bank (and previously Gaza) are citizens of Israel, and as such should be removed from the land that is NOT Israel, and returned to the land that IS Israel (I know, this is hard because Israel refuses to establish it's legal boundaries). Now, the Palestinians, who are already in the West Bank and Gaza, are NOT in Israel.... are they? That's one big, hard to ignore fact, isn't it? You're an idiot. You rank right up there with victor retardman.

# 159 Rishmawi is absolutely correct. St. Augustine said in the 6th century, .....a pirate with one ship is a terrorist, but a pirate with many ships is an emperor.... There is institutional terrorism, and the Israeli occupation of Palestine was terrorism which became a catalyst for a recurring cycle of terrorism. As long as the occupation continues, there will be terrorism. The settlers and settlements will always be a barrier to peace due to their mindless zealotry.

Yes, Israel should remove Jewish terrorist from the WB. They could bring a van, perhaps a bus, but probably a van to do this.' You do know that there are 500,000 settlers in the West Bank? You would need about 60,000 transit vans just to shift them. Do you really think there are loads more than 500,000 Hamas and Fatah 'terrorists'? They must be spectacularly incompetent, as they haven't managed to launch an attack from the West Bank for more than 3 years now. Wonder why that is? What extremes some Jews will go to to deflect any criticism from the settlers! I shudder to think what extremes of violence they would have to go to before earning a mild rebuke from Brad of Canada.

'All one hears from the PA is that the Jews have no religous rights anywhere in Eretz Yisroel.' Can you please give a reference for the PA saying this? AFAIK they have never said that Jews have no RELIGIOUS rights. They have not even said that Jews can't settle in the West Bank. What they HAVE said is that the STATE OF ISRAEL cannot build settlements there or transfer its zealot population there, because (a) it is not Jewish sovereign territory and (b) settling an occupier's people on occupied land is forbidden by Geneva Convention 4. It doesn't matter tuppence if a bunch of fanatical rightwingers try to argue that Palestine is Israel's really, the international courts ruled that it isn't and even the Jewish High Court agreed with them. So that one's a totally dead duck.

torching a Mosque or a Moslem Schol.Close to 60% of Swiss voters voted in a plbiscite to ban minaretes. Siwss has a small, albeit vocal right wing and Neo Nazi organizations. Blaming Israeli Establishemnt, AIPAC (Jeiwsh lobbying in USA ) and Congress ( in Dinos subtle inuendo that Jews control Congress) is pure bias based on lies. If Jews are controlling USA why was there never a Jewish President?

"Our side." My family lives in Israel. The children of my cousins. Blood relatives!

If this was a Palestinian burning a Jewish place of worship, you would call them terrorists, troublemakers and would need to protect them from the 'protestors' with guns who will surely charge another price tag! Racism is the heart of this conflict and these protestors along with many Israelis beleive this is God's will!!

Are they from Ariel?

let police to investigate the case, why you think that settlers are involved. i personally know founders of tapuah from 30 years past. i have my doubts.

Since you didn't witness it, you're relying on hearsay NOBODY saw he set the blaze And we both know exactly how reliable you are, don't we?

or the taliban destroying buddhist symbols ? hypocrisy never ceases to amaze !!

Brad, Your prejudice is showing. I agree that too many people here are painting all settlers with the same brush as these terrorist thugs. That is no excuse for you to turn around and do the same thing to the Palestinians. Why don't you actually meet a Palestinian before you judge one. Peace. Stephen

Sure there are criminals among the settlers. There is also a problem with the Israeli authorities failing to prosecute crimes against Palestinians. The perpetrators of this act should be caught, arrested and their homes bulldozed but we should NOT equate this act with all settlers. Most of the settlers would be appalled by the actions of these thugs. Most Jews would never, ever, ever use a Nazi symbol. Just because of these few (could have been only 5 or 6) despicable thugs is not justification to paint all settlers as Nazis. Peace. Stephen

If it turns out that this shameful act was committed by Jews, then all Jews are shamed! This is simply not the Jewish way, to attack the holy books of other religions, to desecrate them in such an abominable fashion must be denounced by everyone. Never forget hte hardships and tribulations that the Jewish people have endured for centuries. Surely we are better than this?

your are in solidarity with those who perpetuated it; remember?

just like a little kid who kicks a sleeping dog after he's been punished. no peace organization in the world would dare to do as you imply... because it would totally destroy its credibility... just as you have done with your idiotic suggestion.

...a person who inflicts terror on another. The Settlers as a group inflict terror on the residents of the West Bank on a regular basis just as the terrorists of Gaza were inflicting terror on the people of Sderot. Tit for tat.....

If these are Jewish Settlers, they are sacrificing our cards with the Muslims. It's true that periodically some Muslim Extremists will attack Jewish targets here and there and true those Muslim Terrorists are supported by many Muslims. But don't count on God to save us. Only the Creative Jewish Mind that can save us if we use it properly. If you want to live in peace with others, you have to own some cards that guarantee that they won't attack you. Now it appears these hooligans have thrown away some of these cards and have in effect exposed us to more danger. Israel. You need to cut off people that put your/our safety at risk.

can we call them jewish terrorists or just angery settlers theres a double standard

Yes, Israel should remove Jewish terrorist from the WB. They could bring a van, perhaps a bus, but probably a van to do this. Now, if Hamas and Fatah were to remove terrorists from Gaza and the WB, that would require thousands and thousands, ten of thousands of buses.

There was no justification by utagawa. He merely pointed out one of the ironies, one that plays itself out. Arabs single out Israel and sometimes other "infidels" for WRONGS, and this is a wrong, selectively.

There is a consensus that the settlers or anyone else responsible for this attack behaved criminally and should be punished. What I find enlightening is that when the shoe is on the other foot, when Arabs attack Jews and Jewish institutions, the consensus disappears. Then the Arab side descends into nonsense.

BC of the Internet, Americans are learning what Israel is really all about: racism, injustice and apartheid. As prominent American papers slip away, so does Israel's propaganda machine. Slowly but surely. Yay!!!

heating up Israel's borders to draw the attention from the world's focus on the Iranian and Syrian nuclear programs .

"police investigating, no arrests made." Once again, the world is disgusted, but not surprised.

"Israel should bulldoze the homes of these settler/terrorists, in accordance with its longstanding anti-terrorist policies." I'm sure Israel will, as soon as Israeli terrorists initiate wave-upon-wave of suicide bombing attacks. How else would you deter a suicide bomber? Put their body parts in a prison cell?

Shame on us. Shame on Kol Klal Israel. What short memories we have. Shame Shame Shame. Is this what we fought and died for. The burning of places of worship. Do not quote the Tomb of Joseph and Gush Katif to me. Why lower us to the same level. Are we not better. Next do we start blowing up buses. Are we going to see Settler suicide bombers. Shame on us.

You are either stupid, uninformed or most likely both. Read up the history of what the Arabs did to Jewish Jerusalem and the cemeteries during the period 1948 to 1967. But not in an Arab newspaper. Go to a reputable library or repository, if you know what that is.

"Could it have been done by a provocateur?" - Zev The Settlers never do anything they are accused of do they Zev? All those Palestinians dressing up as Settlers and protesting last week, how do they get away with it?

police and military would apprehend and punish the offenders. Unfortunately the Israeli police and military are either incompentent or very forgiving when it comes to punishing crimes against Palestinians.

Nothing has been confirmed!!!!!!!

Yes, it is a single dispicable act and the perpetrators should be found and punished. The intelligence sourses in general warned about that but how do you protect against pitty individual crimes without knowing what the crime is going to be and where? Did the half a million or so collectively burned the mosque? Though judging by the anti-Israeli protestors` and left propagndists` many responses it must have been precisely what happened. Just give them the headlines, they sense what to do with it.

... the IDF would have already bulldozed flat the suspected settlement equivalent... What are we waiting for?

"It`s completely shocking and indefensible to attack places of worship. Still, if Muslims themselves respected mosques, I`m sure that people would also be less likely to attack them. Howver, as we all know, mosques are blown apart into tiny bits every day in Iraq and Pakistan by fellow Muslims. So what kind of respect is that? Or is it only that infidels have to respect mosques while Muslims can defile tham all they want?" This is just superb logic! Let's apply it to murders as well... 1. Killing people is wrong. 2. many people are murdered. 3. Since murderers are killing people it's alright for me to do it as well. Makes perfect sense doesn't it? Let's say that a Jew would shoot some Jewish prime minister. Does that mean that it's OK for anyone to do that? Stop trying to justify these attacks with bad logic and just go ahead and say that you support attacking Palestinians. At least you'd be honest.

"If the IDF is unable or unwilling to confront and stop the settler-terrorists, the PA Security Forces should." - Mark of Lewiston The IDF is unwilling, and were the PA to arrest and try the offenders it would be deemed 'terrorism,' the IDF would kill the PA police, judge, and bulldoze their homes. There is 'law and order' for Palestinians and 'God's Justice' for Settlers.

It's sad that you and I actually call the same city home. Sad indeed.

that the US 3 billion per year, that's 82 Million a day goes from US tax payers to Israel for "military" aid. Our military subsidize settlers and the occupation. Its time to stop. While the state dept talks about justice, our tax dollars subsidize settlements & occupation. The annual giveaway will be reviewed by our rubber stamp congress (when it comes to Israel-thanks to one effective PAC) early next year.

It is not difficult at all for Settlers to enter Arab towns and villages. They are already inside the West Bank and frequently harrass their Palestinian neighbours. Seems you are selective in your reading of the situation!

On what planet are you living. What peace did Abbas gave?????

However awful this act of torching places of worship, even more troublesome I find it to be that settlers identified of having committed criminal acts against the Palestinians under occupation not seem to be treated as criminals by the Israeli authorities.

My my, you use words quite lightly. If these crimes are totally despicable, unacceptable and should be punished severely, they do not constitute war crimes (note that these settlers, if they really are responsible, are not military. With your logic then the arson burning of a London synagogue last year was also a war crime.

Jackie, from you response it's abvious you do not know how the settlements are positioned. the mentioned settlement the the palestinian town are sperated by a street. Since the settler are all armed they do enter the palestinian towns daily. I had the chance to visit bothe places and it's very easy for the settler to get in and out unnoticed.

All, What these settlers have done is a disgrace. No one should tolerate an attack on a Holy Place. All supporters and opponents of Israel should condemn this without any qualifications. These people should be arrested.

Israel should bulldoze the homes of these settler/terrorists, in accordance with its longstanding anti-terrorist policies.

Lets not leap to conclusions. In the past, International Solidarity Movement Leftists have been caught on video dressing up as Orthodox and vandalizing Arab agricultural property, only to then calling it in to the authorities, blaming a near by Jewish community. Before accepting this on face value, I'd like to know more facts. Of course, it it truly was Jews vandalizing a Mosque,then appropriate punishment should be administered after a trial.

The settlers have been out of control for many years. I have been in the West Bank and have seen their excesses. Unfortunately many Israelis are in denial about the settlers and the violence they dispense. The settlers and the settlements are the true barrier to peace. They incite violence.

Who are we talking about here? * They're a tiny minority and don't represent their religion. * They're violent and don't respect the laws of any land. * They believe in any means to their end. * They focus on innocents and noncombatants. * They get funding from supporters around the world. * When their people make mass killings, their actions are condemned by their religious leaders. Al Queda? Jewish terrorists? Yes. Both should be treated equally. Yes, the Taliban and Al Queda and their ilk are far more lethal. But the methods, goals and tools of both sides are the same. The Israeli government is going to have to work at being less of Carter's apartheid regime and more of a democracy that holds all its citizens to the rule of law.

First of all, I want to say that there is no justification for the attack on the mosque. As a Jew, I condemn it. But Abbas' complaints are they hight of hypocrasy. I never hear him protest attacks against Jewish religous sites. Where was he when the synagogue and yeshiva at Joseph's tomb were destroyed? All one hears from the PA is that the Jews have no religous rights anywhere in Eretz Yisroel.

here , I know you would love it to be so . Your wishful thinking got a strong support now , but it is still only a wishful thinking , nothing more . Israel will apply the law against those idiots , but in a case of other way around ....they are heroes , streets and schools are named after them . So slow down your uncalled generalizations and transparently insincere indignation .

The attack was most certainly blamed on settlers. However there is also a distinctive possibility that it could have been done by Arab people looking to incite further hostility towards the settlers and more international condemnation of Israel. Either of which are possible. After the stories of the "massacre at Jenin" and the "al Dura shooting" i tend to be open to all sorts of possibilites. Proof would be nice before we take out our "Jump To Conclusions" mats.

For a long time I have thought that Israel is definitely its own worst enemy when it comes to any hope of peace in the future. The very fact that the Israeli government is responsible for giving the green light to these settlements in all the occupied terratories is a major reason why there can never be a two state solution. Now that the settlers have built their homes and communities, to be uprooted seems to them a cruelty and they will take it out on the Palestinians who they now see as taking their homes and land. They should never have been allowed to settle in these terratories in the first place.

The destruction of any place of worship is despicable. Using Nazi slogans is also beyond the pale. Where are these voices when Jewish and Christian holy sites are damaged? Where is the outrage from Abbas when Muslims use their own holy sights to attack others? Where is the outrage when Muslims from one branch of Islam destroy the Mosques from another branch of Islam? Where is the outrage when Muslim use the Church of the Nativity as cover for shooting at others? What was done was wrong. At least a paper in Israel will cover the story. My guess is that you would find no such coverage in the Arab world unless it was to praise the "Freedom Fighters. The double standard is a sad reality of today's world

mainstream Israel or a true Jew . The conditions of living in such a proximity and animosity creates a few mentally blemished hotheads who darkens the true image of what is Israel . There are not many of them , but they are more vocal and the press , like Haaretz , loves them . The law must came down with a full weight on them .

"Could it have been done by a provocateur?" (Zev) Possibly. At No. 74. He stands out...

A building in Bronx, NY that was once a synagogue and now a church was vandalized overnight. The damage included graffiti about the Crips, Jews and Christians and even had the Satanic inverted cross. Also, at the mosque in the West Bank, someone wrote "We will burn the lot of you." Sounds like someone British wrote that. So what Britons are among the settlers and/or in the West Bank?

Regardless of who damaged the mosque, Israelis (Jewish, Arab, Druze, whoever) should make it their business to restore/rebuild/rededicate the mosque. It's Simple - Do not do unto your neighbour that which you would not wish to be done unto you.

A settler home should be demolished. This is shameful and the behavior is nothing like that of most Jews who actually live in the West Bank. I hope the perpetrators are caught and justice served.

Could it have been done by a provocateur?

It's completely shocking and indefensible to attack places of worship. Still, if Muslims themselves respected mosques, I'm sure that people would also be less likely to attack them. Howver, as we all know, mosques are blown apart into tiny bits every day in Iraq and Pakistan by fellow Muslims. So what kind of respect is that? Or is it only that infidels have to respect mosques while Muslims can defile tham all they want? Another point: mosques are used as weapons storehouse. So what kind of respect do they deserve as holy places? One last point: From the mosque, hatred, intolerance, and jihad are preached at every opportunity. How should we consider these places to be holy?

must make the cost of this attack so high it forces the IDF to arrest the perpertrators. I am thinking of forcing Israel having to label produce as either being produced by Palestinians or by Settlers. Or even ensure that the diaspora are singled out in such a way that Netanyahu and Lieberman are screaming for us to stop. Prehaps they should be subject to extra taxes to support humanitarian aid in Gaza and the West Bank. Hit them where it hurts in the pocket.

I am proud to read the responses to this article. Jews clearly find the settler?s acts unacceptable. When atrocities are committed against Israelis, I have never seen a comment by a Palestinian, or by a Palestinian supporter, condemning the act.

despicable acts that are a disgace to the jewish world. these people should be put behind bars or in a asylum..

so don't expect anyone to be caught. They do this every time they want to make Jews in Judea Samaria look bad. Basic Israeli politics!

You gave Israel peace from the West Bank and they continued to steal more land from the west bank and now they desecrate religious structures. Nice job Abbas. You are an embarassment to the Palestinian people. I'm not Muslim and this incident boils my blood for many reasons, I can't imagine how the Muslim Palestinians feel. Shame on you Abbas, you are a sell out!

If we condemn Arabs for doing the same, how can Jews allow to get away with this!!! NO EXCUSES!!! PROSECUTE AS YOU WOULD THE ARABS.

The Government needs to stop playing around and do something to reign in these settler terrorists before this really gets out of hand. I have had enough of the settlers getting a green light to ignore and violate our laws...it is time to start getting tough or things are going to get very ugly.

This violence by settlers must stop. They will be the death of Israel. As an American Jew I work hard to defend Israel against detractors and when things like this happen I look like moron. The Jews of Israel need to reign in the idiots. They destroy Israel's reputation and do nothing to promote peace.

If the shoe were on the other foot, however.....

They should be prosecuted, not only as criminals, but as enemies of the state of Israel. Some of the settlers are brain washed religious fanatics. Others are just psychopaths looking for cheap housing and adventure. We should not forget, however, that some of them are just ordinary people who have done nothing wrong. This is particularly true if you consider that Ma?ale Edumim in Jerusalem is considered a ?settlement?.

the only fact we have is that Haaretz makes its accusations or repeats someone elses... anything to bash settlers... Besides, who needs facts to start a fight?

Phitlucre I totally agree with you and it should be done at the same time the Palisinians rebuild Joseph Tomb!

Would be to hand control of security over to the PA, and let these terrorist criminals be prosecuted and jailed by the PA in Ramallah.

Further confirmation that the settler movement will expedite the end of the state of Israel. Nothing can stop them? No these religious suicidal lemmings are gonna bring you down.

That's the spirit, Jimbo. An eye for an eye, and farewell to the civilised world. Good thing is, there is always someone out there who's done something worse than you, providing excuses for everything. Burning synagogues for example - it's already been done.

Just look at your neighbour. Look at the one sitting next to you on the bus. Look at the politicians you have elected. Look in the mirror. This is Israel. The desecrated mosque is a symptom, nothing more. You will not be able to stop what you have started.

Did abbas once use the word brutality when PALs terrorist killed civilians in cafes and buses with bombs strapped to them? NO All he would do it condem it and that was it. Well fine i'll condem the attack, but do nothing to find who did it or to stop them from doing it again.

With all the abuses by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and the apparent tolerance of those abuses by Israel and its partner, the USA, I am embarressed and ashamed to have a heritage which includes both. Neither Israel nor the USA have any moral authority in what they have done.

When people use such inflammatory terms(i.e.despicable,extremists,racism and racist crimes,Terrorism) against these settlers lets put it in perspective. http://www.faithfreedom.org/image/tid While this malicious incident is inexcusable, I think the above photo gallery illustrates it pales in comparison to other far more disturbing behavior. Behavior that goes by unnoticed by the same people here who feign such moral outrage. People all to willing to use it as weapon to indict all of Israel. As if this is the accepted norm in Israeli society. It is NOT. Only the most extremist maybe 5%-7% of Israeli's would approve of this outrage. While 73% of the Palestinians (their own poll numbers)thought the Sbarro Pizza bombing (killing 21 children) was justified.

One of these days the settlers will succeed in blowing up the Al Aksa Mosque and thus set into effect a conflagration that will take the lives of hundreds of innocent Israelis. The people to blame will be the Israeli government that talks big when Palestinian cars, homes, and olive groves are torched (and today, a mosque) but does absolutely nothing to rein in the extremists. No settlers are arrested and none are imprisoned. There will be a day of recokoning for the Israeli government's inability to be a nation of laws and instead allowing vigilantees to wreak havoc. Unless a FORCEFUL response is made by the Israeli government the settlers (most of whom are American Olim) are going to set the entire region ablaze. These settlers are no better than Hamas. Religious zealotry on both sides is going to destroy whatever hopes of peace still flicker in the darkness.

Before the Jewish soul completely disappears, it will rot and the stench will envelop all of Holy land. Is it too late to reclaim your heritage of Justice and compassion?

unfortunately history will repeat it self for only one reason,because people do not learn from history,too sad

Where Arabs made all sorts of nasty claims that were proven to be outright lies The Mosque may have been burned, so far it's just conjecture or it could just as well have been Arabs trying to stir up more trouble

no different then burning a church or synagogue or temple. No way to start Hannukah.

Abbas would name squares after their 'militnats' while Israel will prosecute hers

just imagine if the Palestinian did the same Senagoge Will israel be tolerant?

It's a scandal that this place of worship was burned down. Without pointing a finger, the arson most likely was committed by West Bank settlers, who elso could have done so. Hopefully the police will see the seriousness of this incident and do everything to bring the perpetrators to justice. This is too serious to be swept under the carpet. What bothers me not less is the fact that this article has been published at least six hours ago and so far NOBODY has found it necessarry to comment on it. Could it be that it's because the objective was a mosque and not a synagoge ? ? ? Apparently not much comments interest from inside Israel, so regrettable. Shabbath shalom.

I most certainly, whole-heartedly agree that this was a terrorist attack, its purpose was to strike fear into civilians, the only part of the story that I was remotely pleaseing was that no person was harmed. Now what is missing though is RECIPROCITY. Barak Condemn this, where is the RECIPROCITY FROM THE PA FOR PALESTINIAN TERROR ATTACKS, REAL ONES THAT CLAIM LIVES??? Perhaps this is one reason why we don't have peace, we need RECIPROCITY ON THESE ISSUES. We need both sides to condemn terrorism. What would be interesting would be if Haaretz could publish an article showing the different responses from PA and Israeli Gov't to terrorist attacks from Civilians and militants (like Settlers and Al-Aqsa, Hamas, Hizbollah). What I think we will find is that when something like this befalls Palestinians the PA is very quick to condemn it, when Palestinians do something like this, the PA does not condemn it and often praises it, sometimes publicly other times behind closed doors.

Really affords useful insight into the minds of extremists - left-wing, right-wing, Arab, Jewish, whoever. To attack a House of Worship is a despicable act! And on the eve of Hanukkah! Let us think of those whose mosque has been destroyed in the same way that the First Temple was destroyed almost 2600 years ago. Plainly we are incapable of rising above the levels of brutes sometimes. I hope Israel will go to some trouble during Hanukkah to help those harmed by this disgraceful act to cleanse build up and rededicate the mosque! THAT would be a REAL Hanukkah.

I think that burning not only a mosque, but any place of worship, is despicable. Now, Mr. Abbas, what do you think of the burning of Joseph's Tomb? Is it legitimate for Muslims to burn down temples of other religions, while demanding that mosques not be burnt?

This action and ALL other actions of this nature should be speedily and forcefully condemned.

This is indeed a grotesque act. But Abbas shouldn't complain about freedom of religeon. Jews are barred from the Temple mount.

Of course the Israeli government won't prosecute those responsible. If it were a synagouge that was vandalized, the IDF would impose cerfuew on the palistinian villages, but under no circumstances would they do the same to settlements. This is what israeli democracy looks like: Criminals that happen to be Jewish are above the law unless the victim is not also Jewish.

This action in completely despicable, just as the title says. My chief concern here is that there must be a very poor level of education in the settlement responsible for this action. As a jew and a zionist, it is the responsibility of myself and all Jews alike to understand the depths of the holocaust that vanquished a third of our people, and to make certain that history doesn't repeat itself yet again, to us or anyone. I don't believe in territory withdrawls myself, but I unequivically believe that we as Jews must hold ourselves to a higher moral standard than those who perpetrated those horrific acts not so long ago. Extremism is every country's achilles heal, and there is no room for it on either side in the State of Israel. Those responsible should be ashamed for their actions and be aware that this type of aggression throughout history is the reason our people are so few today.

When Abbas' Islamist-Jihadists desecrated and destroyed Jewish Synagogue in Ghush Khatif, did Abbas ever utter the word 'despicable?'

The "price tag" policy if the settlers is terrorism, pure and simple and should be met as such. If the IDF is unable or unwilling to confront and stop the settler-terrorists, the PA Security Forces should. When the terrorist Effi is caught, he should be tried by the Palestinian Authority.

I'd be more impressed if Abbas had made a similar speech after Palestinian vandals destroyed the yeshiva adjacent to Joseph's tomb in Nablus/Shechem.

The west bank jews are only going to get more agitated and violent as the semi-freeze expands... If peace talks resume and a full freeze order is placed then there could be full scale insurrection... (a jewish version of the intifada) What worries me even more is what will happen when Israel has to call in the troops... It seems that the peace that Obama invisions for the pals and jews will have to result in many more dead jews and arabs before there can be two states...

We have folks here in Houston that keep pit bull dogs because they are viscous with a bad reputation. Some folks seem to like that image. From time to time, the pit bulls kill someone, even their owners. This helps the image, and the owners deserve it, but not the passing kid or old lady. Israel keeps Settlers, it feeds them, and give them lots of goodies. Israel likes it's Settlers and is determined to keep them. The Settlers are always doing viscious things to Arabs, and some times to Israelis. Settlers bite the hand that feeds them, and embarrass the nation before the world. Some folks are nuts enough to want the image of being a pit bull owner. Israel loves it's image as the nation that keeps the Settlers. To each their own. Mr. Barak clearly is upset, not at what the Settlers did so much as the embarrassment they cause Israel. If he was upset at what they did he would see they were punished. He doesn't. Love him, love his dog.

Eradicate such individuals from our midst It is simply horrible to learn of possible ?Israeli settlers? having caused this desecration of another religion?s prayer facilities including burning of prayer books etc. Every effort by all available forces is to be made to find these vandals who besmirch praying facilities and have to be brought before courts.- We cannot allow such vandalism, attacks upon places of prayer in our almost inner-interest.

Is there anything more nauseating that these settlers claiming its the will of their god that they steal Palestinian land. They are nothing but deluded racists and the fact that they are (more than) tolerated by the Israeli government is disgusting.

how deplorable, to uproot hundred year old olive trees, to throw rocks at little kids, to burn mosques, and to steal land from the indiginous inhabitants of the land, do these people have no Soul no God

In either case show us the proof that Jews did this. The actual legal proof. Otherwise sit down, Abbas.

such is the israeli "justice" system. the perpetrators will never be caught and punished.

The torching of any mosques in any country is a despicable digusting crime exceipt if the perpetrators are one of their own which in this case could very well be .It's called 'denial' and there are many people out there that will actually believe their own doing and lies and blame others in this case the Settlers which it could very well be it's too soon to jump to conclutions .Let's wait until such time the crimanals are caught and brought to justice before pointing a finger. Mr Abbas has not noticed that when one points a finger there are three of your other fingers pointing back at you.

It sickens me to see this type of behavior. If the settlers are responsible I hope they are caught and prosecuted. It gives ammunition to Israel's enemies and works against the settlers interest. That being said I'm curious as the layout (geographically)of where this incident occurred. With everyone owning a video cam or cellphones with cameras I'm surprised no pictures were taken. It sounds like whoever did this took their time and made some noise, how could nobody have seen them in the process? It is suspicious and the Palestinians have fabricated stories before. Again, if the settlers did this shame on you, it's wrong!

They are doing these things because the Palestinians are unarmed. They sprayed Nazi slogans on a mosque, though Jews were killed during World War II. How do they view Jews who were killed during WWII? Do they associate themselves with their fascist, nationalist German oppressors (I am not speaking of your normal German soldier)? I am sure there are normal and good Israelis in Israel and in the IDF, but occupation and taking land from Palestinians is a morally bankrupt thing to do. The settlers want to say ending the settlements which harms Palestinians is a price tag sounds ridiculous? Well, then the EU should ensure no settlers get products sold in the EU. Israel's settlement project is a colonial crime. Is it surprising then that settlers are committing crimes like this?

The guilty parties will likely never be found, and if so will probably be given slaps on the wrists. But if a Pal had done the same to a Jewish holy site, look out! Two tiered justice by Israel, and the world knows it. By the way, Israel has no constitution to protect minorities.

I do not condone the destruction of any mosque or quran and I am actually embarassed by these despicable actions. But the reality is that the arabs are just getting a taste of their own medicine. Muslims have been descreating Jewish buildings and books for centuries so it is a little hallow to hear them whine about this isolated incident. Of course we will now be bombarded with palestinian victim talk as they whine their way across the news agencies. But maybe for once, muslims will stop and think about how their own actions have encouraged these acts and how their own lack of respect for other relgions and their symbols has come back to haunt them.

... against Palestinians, and instead use it against the settlers, this would not be happening.

I am devastated by this behaviour. I feel like getting up and leaving after 35 years here..What kind of a country will there be for my grandchildren where Jewish fanatics are allowed to do what they want? I'm ashamed and worried.

We cannot argue that we are not like the terrorists, the Jew haters, the State of Israel deniers when such acts are committed.

In solidarity with the innocent people who gather in this Mosque. Fortuna Benmayor.

settler terrorism Must end.

The behaviour of the hooligans from the settlements is despicable and very firm action must be taken by the government. The settlers are a greater threat to Israel than any external enemy. Best wishes for a peaceful Chanukah

If palestinians torched a syngagogue they would be - rightly so - called terrorists. This is no different - using violence and fear to reach political goals.

Whenever I think "you can't top this" the next day will always prove me wrong!Imagine the shoe on the other foot!Does not get any worse then this!Shame.....

A shameful act by shameless people!

These people are practising the techniques learnt from their use against the Jewish people over centuries. At what point do we recognise that this is racist violence and start to act seriously to stop it, including proper punishment for those responsible? If we fail to do so, such acts will only increase in volume and severity until the West Bank ignites and many, many innocent people get hurt.

there is no place for these ideologial hooligans in a Jewish and democratic state. Bibi must choose between decency and this descent into barbarism.

My family was lucky to escape from Germany after the burning of synagogues and hundreds of deaths, in 1938. Whoever conducted this stupid attack is as ignorant in their way as the Nazis were then. It's a horrible comparison to have to make - and should also be an alarm bell about the perils of all forms of narrow and essentially racist thinking

if it is settlers, imprison them... for a long time. such an act by palestinians to a synagouge and the "settlers" would be up in arms demanding swift retribution. because its against pals tho, they think they are justified. these people truly are a blight on israel.

Slanders Real Jews/Israelis. When no doubt he set this thing up himself. Time for another medal eh? how about the maltese cross...DK

I am Jewish, and a supporter of Israel - this attack is completely disgusting - I completely repudiate the people behind this act of terror. You are not my kin and not my faith. I hope the police/IDF catch these scum and prosecute them under laws against terrorism. I am ashamed of these people.

Israel the only country where it's defence minister is busy all day defending the enemy and not his own people, in any other normal country this leftist coward would be rotting in jail for high treason,but in this crazy country called Israel he is the defence minister. i weep for you israel

Who said that the Taliban are restricted to Islam? They are embedded in all religions and, eventually, will take control, be it Islam, Judaism or Christianity

Ideally, there wouldn't be any attacks on houses of worship.

This is disgusting!

ONLY the Palestinians are the ones to be blamed for this. The Palestinians, after the Camp David failure in 2000, have done nothing but terrorize Israel at every chance they get. They fire rockets, mortars indiscriminately at our cities, they blow themselves up to kill us. So what do you expect these people to do, under these circumstances? But, whoever did this should be punished. Two wrongs don't make a right. It's very sad to see people go to such extremes. If only the Palestinians would lay down their guns, go to the table they would have their Palestine in a matter of weeks! But they don't want to, they keep up the Arafat tactic - Talk during the day, terror during the night. They will NEVER achieve statehood that way unless they defeat Israel by war which is very unlikely at this point in time. Right now that would be like defeating the English army.

It's good to finally see some justice in Israel; but a shame that the government isn't meting it out. When were the perpetrators arrested, who daily vandalized the Temple Mount and Joseph's tomb? Justice is a sham in Israel! Three cheers for the settlers!

Between Stockholm and Tehran, Israel of 2009 is much closer to Tehran. From birth to death, from circumcision to funeral, from the establishment of the state to the establishment of the last of the illegal settlements and outposts in the West Bank - Israel is operating in the shadow of the commandments of religion. Israelis should be honest with themselves and admit it already: The country is too religious and its going to be like Saudi Arabia.

"points to the likelihood that settlers are behind the attack"...... in other words; they have no clue ! Maybe "Peace Now" is behind the attack, to create more hate towards the Settlers ?. Of course i can't prove this but everything "points to the likelihood that Peace Now is behind the attack"

This sort of activity will never end until Israel stops subsidizing this element within their society and starts arresting them, putting them in jail and ordering restitution from those who destroy property instead. The failure by Israel's police and army to crack down on these actions by settlers lends a stamp of official approval to them, and blackens Israel's image around the world. You can't blame it on a handful of extremists if the State looks the other way and doles out money to them. Their actions become your own as well.

Reading this stuff makes me want to take the day off and not write anymore. Really! I am so damn disgusted. If some people on our side did this, they are bastards!