ISRAELI secret police Shin Bet’s ex-head Carmi Gillon said at the weekend that the security service leadership does not take seriously crimes by ultranationalist Jews against Palestinian property.

The former chief of the domestic agency said that current boss Yoram Cohen was not investing enough resources to stop the vandalism.

“He belittles the danger of these activities.

“He apparently does not prioritise this matter,” said Mr Gillon.

Radical settlers have carried out a campaign of vandalism in recent years to protest against Israeli policy and attack Palestinian interests, drawing condemnation by Israeli leaders but few arrests.

In the latest attack Jewish extremists uprooted dozens of olive trees on a Palestinian-owned farm in the West Bank.

“Twenty-five olive trees were uprooted and sawn up in a field belonging to Palestinians near Bat Ayin” close to the Gush Etzion settlement south of Jerusalem, said police spokeswoman Louba Samri.

Graffiti reading “price tag” and “Arab thieves” was found at the scene.