Settlers Attack European Diplomats
French and Belgian officials condemned the assault after a 78-year-old mayor was beaten with iron bars while visiting Palestinian olive farmers.
- On Saturday, masked settlers attacked a convoy of European diplomats and French Mayor Bernard Baudoux in the West Bank town of Taybeh, striking the mayor with iron bars as he supported Palestinian olive farmers.
- A day earlier, masked settlers beat American photojournalist Heidi Levine near Abu Falah, leaving her with broken vertebrae in a surge of at least 170 documented attacks since late September.
- Ambassador Mike Huckabee condemned the beating as "a despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards," while Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot urged Israel to "urgently halt criminal violence."
- Israeli authorities announced no arrests in either case by Sunday evening, while human rights organization Yesh Din found 93.6% of monitored investigation files closed without indictment between 2005 and 2025.
- Violence has surged ahead of the October 27 elections, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged a "smear" campaign while rival Gadi Eisenkot called the attacks "Jewish terrorism, under the auspices of the Israeli government.
14 Articles
14 Articles
The editorial of "Liberation" summarizes the main news of the weekend of 17 and 18 October 2026.
The Israeli army condemns the violence, but the Prime Minister's office claims that it is part of a smear campaign
European diplomats feel the sting of settler violence in West Bank
Shielding Israel from accountability, supplying it with advanced weapons, and turning a blind eye to its unlawful and cruel acts against Palestinians for nearly eight decades have finally come back to haunt Europe and the United States. The consequences have reached a point where even European diplomats, journalists, and other officials are no longer safe from the emboldened Israeli occupiers.
A peaceful olive harvest in the occupied West Bank has escalated into a violent confrontation. Israeli settlers attacked a group of European diplomats, a French mayor, and an archbishop in the Palestinian city of Taybeh. Three people were injured. Even an armored...
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