Mofaz orders police, IDF & Shin Bet (Shabak) probe of felled olive trees

30/12/2005   
By Amos Harel , Haaretz Correspondent
 
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz on Thursday called for the establishment of a panel to investigate the felling of olive trees owned by Palestinians in the West Bank.

The team will be comprised of officials from the police, Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security service.

The announcement comes in the wake of several incidents over the past month in which more than a thousand olive trees were cut down, mainly from areas near Jewish settlements adjacent to the northern West Bank city of Nablus.  

 
Even though police suspect extremist settlers are responsible for these acts, they claim not to have any leads in their investigation.

Mofaz said that if Jews are in fact responsible for these acts, it is an outrage unacceptable to a law-abiding state.

According to Mofaz, should the panel prove Jews indeed chopped down the trees, the Palestinians victims should receive reparations from the State of Israel.

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