Palestinian Authority Arab arsonists set fire to pastures belonging to a farm in the Binyamin region, lit a second fire and threw stones at responding firefighters on Sunday afternoon.
Dozens of volunteers from nearby farms were called to the scene and initially managed to get the fire under control. But only half an hour after they left, Arab arsonists set a second fire a few hundred meters away from the first one, and hurled rocks at the responding fire crews.
Most of the rioting Arabs fled in the direction of Jericho, but Israeli soldiers arrested seven suspects.
At least one Israeli volunteer trying to put out the fire was injured by the rioters. The windshields of several Israeli cars were also smashed.
“These arsonists have one goal, just like the other attacks against the shepherds in the hills and farms, and it is the Jewish withdrawal from the territory in favor of the establishment of a Palestinian state,” said a statement issued by the Pomegranate (Rimonim) Farm.
“Almost every day, Arab arson takes place here, which consumes extensive pastures and sometimes even comes close to the residents’ houses.”
It was the third such arson attack in the grazing area of the Rimonim Farm, located north of Jerusalem.
On April 12, a 14-year Israeli shepherd was abducted and killed by Palestinians from another farm in the Binyamin region.
Benyamin Achimeir was stabbed and beaten with rocks so many times that search teams couldn’t immediately identify the body.
