Israeli police detain 10 people in rare raid against West Bank settlers
After a weekend of violence in the occupied West Bank, Israeli police detained 10 people linked to attacks on foreigners and the building of an illegal outpost. The victims include US photojournalist Heidi Levine.
Israeli police detained 10 people on Monday, 19 October, in a rare raid against Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank. Those held are linked to attacks on foreign nationals and the construction of an illegal outpost. The operation followed a weekend of violence in the territory, including an assault on US photojournalist Heidi Levine, that prompted sharp international criticism. Police action of this kind against settlers is unusual.
Attacks on foreigners
Levine was covering the olive harvest in a Palestinian village near Ramallah on Friday when a group of masked Israeli men knocked her down, kicked and beat her. She suffered four broken vertebrae and a broken rib, a finger injury that needed surgery, and lacerations across her body. In a BBC interview from her hospital bed, she described the assault as an attempted lynching.
The next day, Israeli militants armed with sticks and iron bars attacked a group of European diplomats and Palestinians harvesting olives outside the town of Taybeh. A visiting French mayor was assaulted, the window of an official car was smashed, and a young Palestinian man was severely injured.
Reaction
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu cast doubt on the accounts, referring to an "alleged attack" on Levine and "unproven allegations" about the diplomats. His remarks drew criticism from US secretary of state Marco Rubio, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, European countries and Washington Post editor Matt Murray.
After the raid, a court extended the detention of six men tied to the attacks on foreigners to between three and four days.
Palestinians' situation
Levine said the global attention on her case exposed double standards, as violence against Palestinians goes unanswered. The Israeli human rights group Yesh Din has documented 561 incidents of settler and soldier violence against Palestinians since 27 September, over three weeks, an average of more than 26 a day. Its executive director, Ziv Stahl, said 94% of investigations into settler violence against Palestinians are closed without indictments.
Netanyahu's statements were widely seen as an effort to court far-right voters as Israel enters the final days of an election campaign. His coalition includes extremist settlers. Haaretz reported that political pressure is preventing the army from confronting "Jewish terrorism", with commanders reluctant to challenge settler leaders.
