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Masked settlers attack olive harvesters
Witnesses put the number of settlers at about 80, and at least two people were injured. One of them was Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine, who reported that settlers kicked her repeatedly, breaking a rib and causing injuries that required surgery.
Levine said she saw at least 50 masked men with slingshots on a hilltop, and when they came running down she was pushed to the ground and kicked probably 50 times. She said she was wearing a flak jacket and helmet and that without them she probably would not be here.
Rights groups report a sharp rise in settler violence during this year's harvest, and the attack is fueling questions about Israel's response. Israel's military has called attacks on civilians grave and unacceptable, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the incident is under investigation.
Why is the olive harvest a flashpoint?
Olives are among the most important crops for Palestinian farming families, who pick them each autumn, usually from October into November. The UN's humanitarian office, OCHA, tracks incidents during the harvest every year because many groves sit near settlements or in areas where farmers need advance permission to reach their land. Many of the trees have been in the same families for generations. A newly planted olive tree typically takes several years to bear fruit, and olive trees can live for centuries.
Why do two legal systems operate in the West Bank?
Israel has governed the West Bank since 1967 through a military administration, and Palestinians living there are subject to military law and military courts. Israelis living in settlements are subject to Israeli civilian law. The 1995 Oslo II agreement divided the territory into Areas A, B, and C. Area C, about 60 percent of the West Bank, remains under full Israeli security and civil control.
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