In the occupied West Bank, Jewish settlers set a Palestinian mosque on fire early this morning in the village of Beit Fajjar, south of Bethlehem. The fire damaged parts of the mosque and destroyed about a dozen copies of the Quran. Local officials say the fire was set by settlers who opposed calls for another freeze on settlement building in the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority condemned the arson, describing it as “a serious escalation in settler violence” against the Palestinians. On Saturday, Palestinian officials suspended talks with Israel unless Israel halts all building at West Bank settlements.

Yasir Abed Rabbo, executive committee of the PLO, the Palestine Liberation Organization: “The Palestinian leadership holds Israel responsible for obstructing the negotiations and the political process and thwarting the political efforts of the American administration, the Quartet and the entire international community. Likewise, the Palestinian leadership confirms that the resumption of negotiations requires tangible steps to prove they are serious — at the forefront of them, a freeze on settlements, without conditions or exceptions.”