Jerusalem, 6 October, 2022 (TPS) — Arab arsonists set fire to an Israeli farm in the Jordan Valley on Tuesday evening, on Yom Kippur eve, burning it to the ground and causing damage worth millions of shekels.
The farm, owned by the Dor family in Moshav Mehola, was set on fire by arsonists who came from the nearby Arab village of Ein El Bid, according to tracks found at the scene.
The farm was stocked with agricultural produce, vegetables, and organic herbs, and the labor of many months was completely lost.
11 fire crews worked on the night of Yom Kippur to fight the fire. The teams worked mainly at the central building, used to store goods before marketing. Most of the firefighting efforts were to contain the fire so that it would not spread to nearby buildings and greenhouses.
The Fire Department stated that according to preliminary findings, there is “reasonable suspicion of deliberate arson,” and a special investigation team was established to investigate the incident.
Security cameras recorded two masked men setting fire to the place.
David Alhiani, head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, stated: “Another very painful incident of agricultural terrorism, another family whose world has been destroyed, and on Yom Kippur. How much cruelty and evil can one absorb?!”
He called on the security forces and the government “to deal seriously and truthfully with the phenomenon of agricultural terrorism that we are experiencing here from our neighbors. This time it ended up with loss of property worth millions, but unfortunately, we won’t be surprised if one morning we wake up to an event that may also cost human lives,” he warned.
Arab vandalism of Israeli-owned agricultural endeavors is a common occurrence, and Israeli vineyards and fields in Judea and Samaria have been repeatedly targeted by Arab sabotage.
Arab terrorists caused significant damage to the orchards of Kfar Etzion on Saturday night after they hurled burning tires and firebombs into the community’s agricultural areas.
Footprints of five terrorists found at the scene of the attack led to the nearby Arab village of Safa.
A similar incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when Arab rioters from the village of Jania set a tire on fire and caused a massive blaze. The fire spread between the Israeli communities of Talmon and Dolev. Large firefighting teams with the help of planes fought the flames and prevented the spread of the fire toward the homes.
The road connecting the two communities was damaged and the forest in the area was also damaged.
There were no casualties in both attacks.