12 cars vandalized in Jerusalem's Abu Tor neighborhood
Jewish car owners living in mixed neighborhood find their tires had been slashed; police investigating
Twelve vehicles in Jerusalem's Abu Tor neighborhood were vandalized overnight on Wednesday.
Jewish car owners residing in the mixed neighborhood discovered Wednesday that their car tires were slashed and reported the matter to the police who launched an investigation.
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Last month, the tires of 21 vehicles parked on a road in east Jerusalem's Beit Hanina neighborhood were slashed.
Residents of the Arab neighborhood also discovered graffiti reading, "We won't stay silent in the face of stone throwing" on a nearby wall. In addition, a Star of David was spray painted on one of the cars.
One of the damaged cars
The Political-Security Cabinet recently strengthened law enforcement authorities' ability to combat the growing phenomenon of "price tag" attacks by declaring their perpetrators an "illegal association."
However, it did not classify the attacks as acts of terror and those involved as terrorists, despite the recommendations of the attorney general, the head of the and the ministers of justice and internal security.
The new measures include stiffer sentencing and lengthier prison terms, according to an Israeli official.
The Prime Minister's Office said the decision "significantly expands the investigative and judicial tools available to the security forces and law enforcement authorities against so-called 'price tag' actions."
Police and the Shin Bet have been struggling to bring the perpetrators of "price tag" attacks to justice and few indictments have been filed for those offenses. The past 18 months have seen 788 "price tag" cases opened, but charges were filed in only 154 of those cases.
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