Key facts
- Heidi Levine, a Washington Post photojournalist, was severely beaten and required surgery after an attack by masked Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
- The attack occurred last Friday during an olive harvest and also involved assaults on European diplomats on Saturday.
- US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called the attack on Levine a "despicable act of terror" and demanded accountability.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's response was described as ambiguous, referring to the attack as "alleged."
- A rights group states that around 94% of investigations into settler violence since 2005 have ended without indictment.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has strongly condemned an attack on Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine, calling it a "despicable act of terror." Levine, an award-winning journalist, was severely beaten and required surgery for broken ribs and hand injuries last Friday by masked Israeli settlers who were also attacking Palestinian olive harvesters in the occupied West Bank. She reported being kicked and beaten for over 10 minutes, with her camera, passport, and phone stolen. The attack ended when her Palestinian colleagues intervened.
In a post on X, Huckabee stated Levine was a US citizen and clearly identifiable as a journalist, demanding a full investigation, arrest, and prosecution of those involved. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a more muted response, condemning "violence against anyone" but referring to the assault as "alleged."
Following the attack on Levine, European diplomats, including French Mayor Bernard Baudoux, were also threatened and assaulted by a group of seven masked men on Saturday while visiting the occupied West Bank. France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot urged Israel to "urgently halt criminal violence" and arrest those responsible. The European Commission also condemned the violence, with one official posting an interview with Levine in hospital stating, "They want no witnesses."
Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the attack on Levine "outrageous and shocking." Gadi Eisenkot, a rival to Netanyahu, criticized the prime minister, describing the attacks as "Jewish terrorism, under the auspices of the Israeli government."