Israeli report says settler attacks against Palestinians increased during 2013

Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency has issued its annual terrorism report, finding that Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank increased remarkably in 2013. Israel Today newspaper reported on Tuesday that according to the report, “the settlers carried out 25 vandalism attacks against the Palestinians in 2013, compared to 18 attacks in 2012.”

But despite the increased number of settler attacks, the Shin Bet report highlights that the success rate in 2013 was lower than the previous year. In 2013, four Palestinians were injured as a result of what Shin Bet classifies as Israeli terrorism compared to six in 2012. Furthermore, the report claims that, “no fatal casualties were recorded among the Palestinians.” The report also states that in 2013, there were 70 indictment charges against settlers, compared to 46 charges filed in 2012.

However, the newspaper pointed out that the report does not include the settlers’ “price tag attacks” against the Palestinians. Even though these attacks are classified as terrorist acts across Israel’s political spectrum, the Shin Bet describes them as incidents and not terrorist operations.

The range of settler attacks against the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank cities includes cutting and burning fruit trees, sabotaging cars, churches, mosques and private properties, as well as physical and psychological abuse against Palestinians who are already living under a brutal military occupation.