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Israel deflects as settler violence hits foreigners
When Israeli settlers attack Palestinians, authorities often ignore it. When they attack journalists and diplomats, the response is denial and conspiracy theories.
In brief
When Israeli settlers attack Palestinians, authorities often ignore it. When they attack journalists and diplomats, the response is denial and conspiracy theories. Israeli officials denied and questioned accounts of settler attacks on a Washington Post journalist and European diplomats, treating the violence as a…
Violence against foreigners gets attention
Attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers are often dismissed or ignored. But when settlers attack journalists and foreign nationals, authorities acknowledge the violence differently.
Washington Post photographer beaten
Heidi Levine, a Jewish American photojournalist, was beaten by masked Israeli settlers in Abu Falah village north of Ramallah on Friday. Her camera, phone and passport were stolen.
Levine's injuries were severe
Levine underwent surgery on her hand after the attack. She said she feared she would not have survived had she not been wearing a helmet and flak jacket marked clearly with the word PRESS.
Netanyahu's office questions the facts
Hours after the attack, Netanyahu's office posted on X in English that the facts surrounding the confrontation remain unclear. It questioned whether settlers or Palestinians had initiated the violence.
“the facts surrounding the confrontation … remain unclear”
Netanyahu defends settlers as law-abiding
The prime minister's office said Israel condemns violence but warned against using disputed incidents to demonise the hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria.
“We will not allow disputed incidents to be demonise the hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria”
Former US diplomat calls it performative
David Friedman, US ambassador to Israel during the first Trump administration, claimed the attacks were petty violence that was all performative and being reported by journalists to push smears against Israel.
Conspiracy theories about journalists emerge
Former diplomat Ellie Cohanim questioned how journalists knew to be in Abu Falah ahead of violence. Writer Adam Louis-Klein demanded an investigation into the Washington Post, suggesting journalists could have incited the violence.
Olive harvest is a known flashpoint
For years, the olive harvest in the West Bank has been a flashpoint for violence between Palestinians protecting their income and settlers trying to destroy their crop. Settler groups issued call-outs to disrupt harvests.
European diplomats attacked on Saturday
On Saturday, a delegation of European diplomats and officials, plus representatives from the Catholic Church, were attacked by settlers in Taybeh, a predominantly Christian community north-east of Ramallah.
Netanyahu warns of coordinated smear campaign
Netanyahu's office said the reports come amid concerns about a coordinated campaign to smear Israel during the olive harvest, relying on sensational headlines before the full facts emerge.
“These reports come amid concerns about a coordinated campaign to smear Israel and the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria during the annual olive harvest”
UN documents scale of settler violence
The United Nations said there had been 244 instances of settler attacks resulting in casualties or property damage from September twenty-ninth to October twelfth alone.
Eleven arrests made, but pattern continues
Israeli police arrested eleven people in relation to the two weekend attacks on foreigners. But arrests are rare when victims are Palestinian, and allegations that Palestinians are to blame continue to grow.
The short version
Israeli officials denied and questioned accounts of settler attacks on a Washington Post journalist and European diplomats, treating the violence as a public relations problem rather than addressing the underlying issue.
