Palestinian and Israeli Vineyards Vandalized in West Bank
Fires erupted over the weekend near a settlement where a cherry plantation was torched last week
Two vineyards were vandalized in the West Bank over the weekend, one in a Palestinian town and the second in a Jewish settlement. In both vineyards, hundreds of vines were cut down. Police have opened investigations.
A resident of the town of Bani Naim, near Hebron, reported Saturday that hundreds of vines were severed in his vineyard outside the town. Israeli security forces canvassing the scene found graffiti sprayed on a nearby building reading: "Stop the agricultural terror, we will reach everywhere."
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On Sunday, a Jewish settler reported that his vineyard near the West Bank settlement of Shiloh had been vandalized. The vineyard was part of a large wine country sprawling from Shiloh through a string of nearby outposts.
Meanwhile over the weekend, fires erupted in several locations in the West Bank. The flames were contained after causing some damage to the brush. One of fires blazed nearby a cherry plantation close to a settlement that was torched with burning tires last week.
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Several vineyards owned by Palestinians and settlers were vandalized in May and April. This year has seen an exponential spike in hate crimes compared to 2017, according to information published by the Shin Bet in April.