US Ambassador Demands Justice After Israeli Settlers Brutally Attack Washington Post Journalist

US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has strongly condemned an assault on an American photojournalist working for The Washington Post, Heidi Levine, in the occupied West Bank. Ambassador Huckabee is demanding a thorough investigation, the arrest of those responsible, and their subsequent prosecution.

The incident occurred on Friday morning when Ms. Levine was attacked by Israeli settlers, according to Matt Murray, the executive editor of The Washington Post. Mr. Huckabee described the attack on the female photographer as a "despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards" and a "dishonourable act of senseless violence" in a post on X.

The US envoy emphasized that Ms. Levine was clearly identified as a journalist and was unarmed. He called for severe penalties, stating that those involved should spend years in prison and be prosecuted "to the fullest extent of the law."

The Washington Post reported that Ms. Levine was assaulted when "dozens of masked settlers" set fire to shrubs and hurled rocks in what they described as a "co-ordinated assault" targeting Palestinian olive harvesters. The newspaper stated, "She was knocked to the ground, kicked repeatedly and stripped of her cameras and phone." Ms. Levine was subsequently taken to a hospital in Ramallah, where images showed her on a trolley with injuries including a wound dressing on her left leg and a gash on her right knee.

This attack follows a period of heightened international concern regarding Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. A separate incident on Saturday involved European diplomats and a French mayor, according to European officials. Poland’s Foreign Ministry indicated that preliminary evidence suggests Israeli settlers were behind an attack on a group of European diplomats, though Polish diplomats in the convoy were unharmed and not believed to be specifically targeted. The ministry has requested urgent explanations from Israeli authorities, identification and accountability for those responsible, and effective measures to prevent future incidents.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot reported that the mayor of a French town was also assaulted by what he termed "extremist settlers" during the Saturday incident, urging Israeli authorities to halt such violence.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog contacted Ms. Levine to offer an apology for the attack and called for an investigation. The Israeli military denounced the violence as "intolerable" and confirmed an investigation would take place. However, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the circumstances were still unclear and more evidence was needed to establish responsibility, also noting that the diplomats' visit was not coordinated with Israeli security officials.

These events occur amidst an intensification of settler violence in the occupied territory. Last month, Britain, France, Canada, and other nations imposed sanctions on Israeli settlements, a move the US has stated it will not join.