Israeli prosecutors file terrorism charges against Jewish settler

TEL AVIV, Israel – In a rare move, Israeli prosecutors have filed terrorism charges against a Jewish settler accused of vandalizing a mosque in the occupied West Bank.

The vandalism was part of a series of anti-Palestinian riots perpetrated by hundreds of settlers last month.

The U.S. recently called on Israel to take action against Jewish settlers for repeated attacks on Palestinians.

The defendant, a man in his early 30s, is accused of taking part in the vandalism in the village of Orif.

He was part of a large group of rioters who threw objects at buildings, damaged furniture and windows of the local mosque, and desecrated copies of the Quran.

Authorities have not yet been able to identify the other defendants.

The defendant, who is represented by the Honenu Law Firm, has denied the charges in the Central District Court.

It is noteworthy that such charges against Israeli citizens are uncommon in Palestine-related cases.

According to the Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din, only seven percent of settler attacks were prosecuted, and only three percent resulted in a conviction.

In contrast, Palestinians in the occupied territories face prosecution in Israeli military courts, where the conviction rate is an astounding 99.7 percent.

The limited and slow response of Israeli law enforcement to settler violence has frustrated Palestinians.

Israel has also blocked U.S.-backed efforts to achieve Palestinian statehood.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has called the settler rampages state-sponsored terrorism.

Palestinian officials report a sharp increase in coordinated and armed settler attacks throughout the occupied West Bank.

They are often carried out under the protection of the Israeli army. More than 30 homes and at least 100 cars have been burned, and Palestinians have been beaten with metal bars and stones.

At least 600,000 settlers live on Palestinian land in the occupied territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.