The security escalation noted in March has seen the number of so-called "price tag" incidents spike by dozens of percent across Judea and Samaria and within the Green Line.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Data released by the defense establishment shows that on March 27 – the night of the Hadera shooting attack that left two Border Police officers dead – Jewish extremists committed a record 30 nationalist crimes.
The "price tag policy" describes attacks and acts of vandalism committed by fundamentalist settler youths, primarily in the West Bank against Palestinians, but such acts also occasionally target left-wing Israeli activists, Arab Israelis, Christians, and Israeli security forces. These acts are vehemently condemned by elected officials Left and Right, including by moderate settler leaders.
As soldiers are limited in how they may handle Israeli civilians, the IDF prefers to leave the matter to the Israel Police, but the military has warned that price tag incidents, which are the work of fringe fundamentalists, could further aggravate the already volatile situation on the ground.
An uptick in nationalistic crimes in not unusual in the wake of terrorist attacks, but the volume of activity it troubling, especially given the onset of the Muslim month of Ramadan and tensions on the Temple Mount, which could ignite much harsher hostilities.
Defense officials further warned that recent events would test the security cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, adding that some in the Palestinian public are likely to join the riots.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
