Critics urge leaders to hold Israel to account amid surge in olive harvest attacks
Condemnations and calls to act
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called for Israel to arrest those who assaulted Bernard Baudoux, mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries. He said the government should end the violence and protect civilians.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration was “very disturbed” by images of the attack on American photojournalist Heidi Levine, 64. Rubio urged Israel to “crack down” on violence and said President Donald Trump did not want “friction” or “a crisis” in the West Bank.
Diplomats confronted by settlers
At least seven masked settlers surrounded vehicles, demanded identification documents and smashed a window in a vehicle belonging to the Belgian consulate, according to witnesses and media reports. They also assaulted Baudoux.
The 78-year-old told Reuters he was “a bit shaken” after settlers threw him to the ground. His group then returned to its vehicles and left. Baudoux said the group should return to the olive plantations, which he described as significant to Palestinians. He also said they had previously left a confrontation because they could not rely on protection from Israeli police or military.
Olive groves and farmers targeted
On Saturday, settlers injured six Palestinians while Israeli forces arrested farmers during attacks across the occupied West Bank. In Deir Ammar, west of Ramallah, Israeli forces fired on farmers picking olives, forcing them from their land, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Settlers also wounded two Palestinians there.
The weekend attacks followed the October 7 killing of Ali Hassan Yasser al-Bazzari, 44, during an assault on olive pickers near Burqa, northwest of Nablus. Witnesses said settlers and Israeli soldiers attacked the harvesters.
Key points
- The EU, France and Belgium condemned attacks on diplomats and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
- Critics say condemnation has not led to EU sanctions against violent settlers or those enabling them.
- Settlers damaged olive trees and vehicles as Israeli forces arrested farmers and olive pickers.
- The attacks followed the October 7 killing of Palestinian harvest worker Ali Hassan Yasser al-Bazzari.