Israeli settlers attack European diplomats, French mayor; Netanyahu says no ‘compelling evidence’

Israeli settlers attacked European diplomats, Palestinian olive harvesters and a visiting French mayor in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, with vehicles belonging to diplomats from France, Belgium and Poland targeted in the Taybeh area.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later claimed there was a lack of “compelling evidence” surrounding the attack on European diplomats, appearing to suggest that the incident was part of a “coordinated smear campaign”.Footage showed one diplomatic vehicle being pelted with stones, with a window smashed. According to testimonies, seven masked settlers surrounded the vehicle and demanded identification documents before attacking it.The incident came a day after masked settlers allegedly assaulted American photojournalist Heidi Levine while she was covering the olive harvest.Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said Belgium's consul general to the Palestinians, French and Polish diplomats, and a French mayor were among those targeted. A Belgian vehicle was also damaged during the incident."As the occupying power, Israeli authorities must protect Palestinians, ensure the safety of diplomats and journalists, and bring those responsible to justice. Impunity for violent settlers must end," Prevot said in a statement posted on X.Bernard Baudoux, the 78-year-old mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, said masked settlers attacked him while he was joining Palestinian farmers in harvesting olives as a gesture of solidarity with the local community."I was thrown to the ground," Baudoux told Reuters.Speaking to AFP, he said the attackers kicked him and struck him with iron bars while making derogatory remarks about France. He also questioned the Israeli government's response to settler violence."I think that if settlers are behaving like this, there is a tolerance on the part of the Israeli government," Baudoux told AFP."The whole world needs to know what's happening," he said. "For me, I'll go back to my country and everything will be fine. Those who continue to suffer the most are those who are here."Israel condemns attack, urges military coordinationIsraeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the incident and described those involved as Israeli rioters. However, he said the visiting diplomats should have coordinated their presence with the Israeli military."Such coordination could have helped safeguard the visitors’ security," he said in a statement on X.Israeli police said they had opened an investigation into the incident. There was no immediate announcement of any arrests.Netanyahu's remarks came amid mounting criticism of settler violence, with his office urging caution before drawing conclusions about the attacks. His response drew criticism from his main rival in the October 27 elections, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who accused the government of allowing settler violence to undermine Israel's international standing.The attacks also drew condemnation from Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh, who described the incident as an example of the "daily terrorism" faced by Palestinians.Olive harvest becomes flashpoint for violenceThe latest violence comes amid a surge in settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, particularly during the annual olive harvest, an important source of livelihood and a cultural symbol for Palestinian communities.Bashar Fawadleh, a priest in Taybeh, told AFP that settlers had attacked the harvest and seized olives before assaulting the French mayor. He said one person was struck on the head and required stitches, while an elderly woman in her 70s was also beaten.The incident followed Friday's assault on Heidi Levine, a US photojournalist working for The Washington Post, who was hospitalised after being attacked by masked settlers while covering Palestinian olive harvesters. Reports said she suffered broken vertebrae.Prevot said the repeated attacks on Palestinians, journalists and diplomats required a stronger response."Palestinians face this violence every day. Settlers also target journalists reporting on it and diplomats. Harvesting olives, reporting the news or carrying out diplomatic duties should never put anyone at risk of attack," he said.Belgium, which has announced a ban on imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the Golan Heights, will push for European Union sanctions "against those responsible for this violence and those who support them," Prevot added.Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maciej Wewior said a convoy carrying diplomats, including Polish officials, had been attacked, but the Polish diplomats were unharmed."Attacks on members of the diplomatic corps are absolutely unacceptable," he said.Israeli President Isaac Herzog separately contacted Levine in hospital and described the assault as "outrageous and shocking". Israel Gantz, head of an umbrella organisation representing settlers, blamed the recent incidents on "groups of provocateurs and terrorists", saying such actions were damaging the settlers' cause.Settler violence has drawn growing international criticism as Israel continues to expand settlements in the West Bank, territory it captured in 1967. Around 500,000 Israelis live there alongside approximately three million Palestinians. Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law.Prosecutions of settlers accused of violent crimes against Palestinians remain rare, despite repeated condemnations by Israeli officials and calls from international governments for those responsible to be held accountable.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.