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The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a message this Friday casting doubt on the violent attack perpetrated by about 50 settlers, which resulted in Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine being hospitalized, while several opposition politicians urged action and even described the settlers as "Jewish terrorists."
"Important questions remain. Reports indicate that about 200 Arabs and far-left activists clashed with approximately 40 young Israelis," questioned the statement from Netanyahu's office shared on X, which adds that it is unclear "who initiated the violence"; despite the fact that it was masked settlers who descended with slings and bats from a hillside toward Palestinian olive groves.
Netanyahu says the facts "remain unclear and are under investigation," and that they will not allow "controversial incidents to be used to demonize the hundreds of thousands of Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria"; the official and biblical term Israel uses to refer to the occupied West Bank.
Early this morning, Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine was brutally beaten by Israeli settlers while covering the olive harvest in the village of Abu Falah, near Ramallah, who also stole her cameras, passport, phone, and wallet, according to her own account in an interview from the hospital, which was also denounced by the Foreign Press Association (FPA) in Israel.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid said in another statement on X that these types of "Jewish terrorist attacks, this time also against the Washington Post photographer, are not a failure of the government, but its policy," and asserted that the Minister of National Security, the far-right settler and ex-convict Itamar Ben Gvir, "encourages them" while Netanyahu "knows and remains silent."
"We will put an end to this. It is a disgrace for the State of Israel, a dishonor to the Jewish people, and a disaster in the international arena," he added in a pre-election tone, given that elections are being held in the country on the 27th.
For his part, Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu's main rival in said elections, said in a more measured tone that he supported the "clear and unequivocal condemnation" of the event issued by the Army and urged the Israel Police to "take strong measures against this criminal violence."
"This handful of troublemakers does not represent the population of Israel. The actions of this group tarnish the image of an entire country and seriously harm the safety of Israeli citizens and all combatants," added Eisenkot.
During the attack, independent American journalist Jasper Nathaniel was also present, who detailed to EFE how nearly a hundred Palestinians were preparing to harvest olives on their land when youths from a nearby hill began to "gather, mask themselves, and grab bats."
Nathaniel—in an audio message—explained that, about an hour after the start of the harvest, the settlers began to throw stones with slings at the Palestinians and activists, which were met with some stones by the Palestinians who sought to defend themselves.
"Then the soldiers arrived and fired tear gas at our side (...) which allowed the settlers to advance with the support of the Army," added Nathaniel, who claims he was struck by a stone there.
According to his account, behind the soldiers appeared a white truck with masked settlers and machine guns, who fired into the air, causing everyone to start fleeing. The Army also shot a Palestinian in the leg, a paramedic from the Palestinian Red Crescent confirmed to EFE.
Violence and intimidation by settlers is a daily occurrence in the occupied West Bank—where settlements have multiplied in recent years—and attacks are increasing during the olive harvest season, making it one of the most violent, with at least two Palestinians killed since October.
[Publicidad]