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Settlers attack journalist and diplomats
Attack on a photojournalist
On Friday, Heidi Levine, an American photojournalist working for The Washington Post, was attacked as part of a wider assault on Palestinian olive farmers. US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called it a despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards and called on Israel to prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the attack as disturbing and a bad look.
Diplomats at Taybeh
Hours earlier, diplomats from Belgium, France, and Poland went to assess the situation in Taybeh, a Palestinian village, and came under attack. Amit Ofri, an Israeli activist who witnessed part of it, said settlers asked to see the IDs in his car, knocked on it, and tried to break in. He said the settlers battered the car with clubs as it escaped, and that one of the Belgian diplomats' cars had a smashed window. Settlers then attacked again, shoving a French mayor to the floor.
Official reactions
France and Belgium condemned the attack on their diplomats. Israeli President Isaac Herzog and opposition leaders denounced the violence. The Prime Minister's office said that serious allegations require serious evidence and questioned the evidence.
Why is the olive harvest a flashpoint?
The harvest runs roughly from October through November, when families pick together in groves that are often near settlements or the separation barrier. The United Nations humanitarian office, OCHA, has reported in several years that incidents involving settlers and Palestinian farmers cluster around this season. According to OCHA, olive trees cover a large share of the West Bank's cultivated land.
How is the West Bank divided administratively?
The 1995 Oslo II Accord split the West Bank into three zones. Area A, about 18 percent of the territory, is under Palestinian Authority civil and security control. Area B, about 22 percent, has Palestinian civil control and Israeli security control. Area C, about 60 percent, is under full Israeli control, and most Israeli settlements in the West Bank are located there.
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