French official beaten in israeli settler attack on diplomats; eu condemns violence in occupied west bank

Diplomats attacked near Taybeh

Bernard Baudoux, mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, said he was kicked and beaten despite wearing a sash identifying him as a French official. “I was thrown to the ground,” he told Reuters on Saturday.

Israeli officials respond

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the violence, called the attackers rioters and said police had opened an investigation. He also criticised the delegation for not coordinating its visit with the Israeli military, saying advance arrangements might have helped protect visitors.

Wider violence during harvest

The diplomatic incident followed an attack on Friday in Abu Falah, near Ramallah, where masked settlers assaulted Palestinians harvesting olives. US photojournalist Heidi Levine, who was covering the farmers for The Washington Post, said she was beaten for more than 10 minutes despite wearing clothing identifying her as a journalist.

Levine suffered broken ribs and had surgery on her hand; her camera, phone and passport were stolen. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Israel to crack down on settler violence, while US Ambassador Mike Huckabee called the assault a “despicable act of terror” and demanded prosecutions.

Attacks have disrupted a harvest that supports tens of thousands of Palestinian families. Wafa reported that settlers cut down 120 olive trees on Palestinian-owned land in Kisan on Sunday, and the UN humanitarian office said nearly 200 harvest-related attacks had caused casualties or property damage this year, more than the 185 incidents recorded during last year’s season.