Arab news media website Al-Arab Al-An reported Saturday that Palestinian Arabs near Nablus (Shekhem) are setting animal traps in their fields to “catch” Jewish activists committing acts of vandalism.

Palestinian Arab media sources allege that this has become a popular tactic in “dealing” with neighboring Jewish farmers. The move may be a response to so-called “price tag” attacks against the Palestinian Authority in response to the rising incidents of anti-Semitism and terrorism against Israelis.

But there are concerns such tactics could be used as a pretext to harm innocent Israeli civilians and farmers in the region.

Many allegations against Jewish residents in Judea and Samaria of vandalism – especially regarding Arab-owned olive groves – have been categorically disproven over the past few years, with a photography campaign proving in 2012 that Arabs and Leftist groups have staged attacks for the cameras on numerous occasions.

Observers note that Arab and left-wing activists often prey on the ignorance of Western journalists, who are unaware that the method for harvesting olives in the region involves hacking off the trees’ branches.

“Last year, we caught Arabs and left wing activists red handed as they cut down olive trees,” said Samaria (Shomron) Residents’ Council Director Sagi Keisler. “In the last few years, the olive harvest season has become the season of incitement.”

“A machine of false propaganda developed around the olive harvest in Samaria,” he explained. “Radical leftist groups flooded the media with false reports that Jews were damaging olive trees and hurting Arabs.”

View original Arutz Sheva publication at: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/174105#.Uokxe-KPlgj