Israeli settlers attack European diplomats in West Bank

Israeli settlers attack European diplomats in West Bank

The full report

A group of European diplomats, including a French mayor, were attacked by masked Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank on Saturday. The attack occurred during a visit to the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh, where the diplomats were assessing the situation on the ground after almost daily attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians trying to bring in their olive harvest.

According to reports, the settlers attacked the diplomats, a French mayor, and a Palestinian woman in her 70s, kicking, abusing, and assaulting them. They also stole olives, smashed the window of an armoured car belonging to the Belgian mission, and beat a man so badly he needed six stitches for a head injury.

The attack was condemned by Belgium's foreign minister, Maxime Prevot, who said that harvesting olives, reporting the news, or carrying out diplomatic duties should never put anyone at risk of attack. He also stated that the violence cannot be separated from Israel's illegal settlement policy and that the occupation of the Palestinian territory must end.

The Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, condemned the attack, describing the perpetrators as Israeli rioters. However, he suggested that the diplomats should have coordinated their visit with the Israeli military, which could have helped safeguard their security.

This attack is part of a larger pattern of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and foreign diplomats. Since the start of the annual olive harvest in late September, settlers have launched more than 170 attacks, killing at least four people, injuring over 100, and damaging thousands of trees, according to Palestinian authorities.

The attack has been widely condemned, with the Belgian authorities calling for Israel to bring those responsible to justice and Belgium's deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Maxime Prévot, stating that Belgium will continue to press for EU sanctions against those responsible for this violence and those who support them.