Washington: The Obama administration is condemning as "hateful" attacks on Palestinian mosques in the West Bank and has appealed to Israelis and Palestinians to avoid any escalation.
The State Department said in a statement on Friday that recent attacks on West Bank mosques are "dangerous and provocative”. It called for the perpetrators to be arrested and prosecuted. It said violence would only hurt efforts to end the conflict.
Israeli West Bank settlers have come under suspicion for a string of attacks against Palestinians.
On Thursday, two cars were torched and Hebrew-language slogans were spray-painted on a mosque in the Nablus area. No one claimed responsibility for the acts, but settlers have carried out similar acts before. This week, a West Bank mosque was set afire.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, September 10, 2011, 11:37