On the morning of June 23rd, 2010 Jewish settlers rioted and attacked Palestinian property in the neighbourhood of Saffa, Beit Ommar. On the most recent example of the so-called ‘price tag’ policy, dozens of residents of the illegal settlement of Bat Ayn attempted to set fire to private Palestinian land before throwing stones and bottles at nearby houses.

Israeli soldiers began firing tear-gas canisters and stun grenades after awoken Saffa residents had gathered around dawn, lightly injuring a number of Palestinians. Members of the Beit Ommar National Committee and Palestine Solidarity Project arrived in Saffa shortly after and recorded the incident.

The more radical of Israel’s 500,000 settlers in the occupied Palestinian territories adhere to the “price tag” policy, in which settlers seek revenge by attacking Palestinians for every outpost that is demolished. This latest attack came after the Israeli army demolished two illegal structures in Bay Ayin settlement.

The residents of Saffa have been subject to regular harassment and attack from Bat Ayn’s ideological settlers. In recent months settlers have attacked farmers, set fire to olive groves and chopped down crops. The Palestine Solidarity Project planted over 1000 olive trees recently to replace those repeatedly burnt, uprooted and destroyed by the settlers.