Diplomats from Poland, France and Belgium, together with representatives of the Catholic Church, were visiting the predominantly Christian Palestinian village of Taybeh, east of Ramallah, to show support for olive growers when masked Israeli settlers attacked the convoy. The attackers threatened members of the delegation and smashed a window of a Belgian diplomatic vehicle.
Poland’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday evening that its diplomats were unharmed and that there was no sign they had been specifically targeted. Warsaw demanded an explanation from Israel and action against the attackers. Prevot said Belgian personnel were safe, although their vehicle had been damaged.
Bernard Baudoux, the 78-year-old mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, said he was kicked and beaten despite wearing the ceremonial sash identifying him as a French official. “I was thrown to the ground,” Baudoux told Reuters on Saturday.
The European Union condemned the attack on Sunday, the day after the assault, and called for action to stop the pogroms. The 27-member bloc welcomed statements by Israeli officials condemning the violence but expected “full accountability” and measures to prevent further attacks on Palestinians and journalists. It also called on Israel to respect international law and stop expanding settlements in the occupied territory. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called on Israel to arrest those responsible and protect civilians.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the violence, described the perpetrators as rioters and said police had opened an investigation. He criticised the delegation for not coordinating the visit with the Israeli military, arguing that advance arrangements could have helped protect the visitors. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said violence against diplomats was unacceptable but questioned whether video circulating online was enough to establish exactly what happened.
The incident followed another attack on Friday in Abu Falah, near Ramallah. Masked settlers assaulted Palestinians harvesting olives and severely injured US photojournalist Heidi Levine, who was covering the farmers for The Washington Post. Levine said she was beaten for more than 10 minutes despite wearing clothing identifying her as a journalist. She suffered broken ribs, underwent surgery on her hand, and had her camera, phone and passport stolen.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in Maryland on Saturday, urged Israel to crack down on settler pogroms and warned that President Donald Trump did not want another crisis in the West Bank. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called Levine’s assault a “despicable act of terror” and demanded prosecutions.
On Sunday, Israeli settlers cut down 120 olive trees on Palestinian-owned land in Kisan, southeast of Bethlehem, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Farmers have reported assaults, stolen crops, damaged trees and restrictions that keep them from their land. The United Nations humanitarian office said last week that nearly 200 settler attacks linked to this year’s harvest had caused casualties or property damage, already more than the 185 incidents recorded throughout last year’s season. The harvest provides income for tens of thousands of Palestinian families.