HEBRON – Residents here awoke Wednesday morning to find graffiti denouncing Muslims and the Prophet Muhammed scrawled on a wall outside the Jewish city of Kiriat Arba.
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One resident told Ynet local residents were "boiling" over the perceived slight, and said signs reading "Muhammed is a pig" were driving people to the point of insanity.
Many residents gathered together near the wall where the offensive graffiti was written, and several protesters were arrested. Palestinian sources report at least seven people arrested.
Police suspect Jewish residents of the neighboring Jewish city of Kiryat Arba defaced the walls. One Palestinian told Ynet, "the settlers have crossed the line with this provocation, which could serve to inflame the situation."
Mayor Jabari: Israel responsible
Upon finding the graffiti, residents called Mayor Arif al-Jabari's office, and business owners also reported finding nails jammed into the locks of their stores, preventing many of them from opening for business.
Mayor Jabari said the incident was not the first of its kind here, and said there was "no telling" how dangerous the region would become if they continued to occur.
He also accused Israel of painting the conflict in religious terms, saying there was a connection between the graffiti and "threats" against Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque.
"To display a lack of honor is a tough thing, especially tough when it's against a person's religion. If the Israelis don't put an end to these extremists' actions, we will consider them responsible for the escalation that will follow, given their acceptance and excusing of the extremists' actions."
Jabari also said the graffiti was not just an insult to Palestinian Muslims, but to Moslems everywhere.
"We respect everyone, and only one side is responsible for this. Israel must act quickly to prevent a further escalation," he said.
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