West Bank Settler Arson
A Palestinian man stands next to Hebrew graffiti sprayed on the wall of a mosque in West Bank village of al-Mughayyir near Ramallah June 7, 2011. Suspected Israeli settlers damaged the mosque in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday when they threw a burning tyre into it and scrawled Hebrew graffiti on its walls, an Israeli police spokesperson said. The graffiti reads "Price tag - Eley Ain". REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman (WEST BANK - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST RELIGION) REUTERS

The United Nations and the White House have condemned the burning of a mosque in the West Bank yesterday.

UN Radio quoted Robert Serry, the UN peace process coordinator in the Middle East, saying that the attack was threatening and highly provocative.

White House spokesperson Tommy Vietor was slightly more subdued in his condemnation, telling USA Today, As we have long maintained, all sides must do all they can to prevent attacks and incitement of this kind.

The Israeli settlers broke into the West Bank mosque early Tuesday, setting it ablaze and scrawling Hebrew graffiti on the walls.

Price tag, Alei Ayin, the graffiti read.

The price in question refers to the settlers exacting a toll -- oftentimes the destruction of the mosque -- on Palestinians after Israeli gestures against the settlements.

Alei Ayin is the name of a particular settlement that was unauthorized by the Israeli government and evacuated by Israeli Defense Forces late last month.

In December 2009, settler extremists torched another mosque near the West Bank city of Nablus, destroying copies of Muslim holy texts, including Islam's sacred text, the Qur'an.

Then, the extremists left a similar message:

Price tag -- greetings from Effi. Another settlement that incurred the disfavor of Israeli authorities and resulted in retaliation against Palestinians.

This is a heinous act of provocation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

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