Europe condemns the attack on diplomats in the West Bank...and calls on Israel to take action

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The European Union condemned, on Sunday, an attack by Israeli settlers on a European diplomatic convoy in the West Bank, demanding that those responsible for the attacks be held accountable and that effective measures be taken to stop the violence, at a time when attacks on Palestinians are increasing in conjunction with the olive harvest season.

The European Union called on Israel to fully adhere to international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and to stop expanding settlements, stressing the need to achieve accountability for the recent attacks, despite Israeli officials’ condemnation of them, according to what was reported by AFP.

The attack occurred on Saturday, October 17, in the village of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank, after masked settlers attacked European diplomats and representatives of the church during their visit to the area. The attack included officials from Belgium, France, and Poland, as well as representatives of the Catholic Church. The mayor of the French municipality of Olnois-Imery, Bernard Boudeau, 78 years old, was beaten after he said that the attackers kicked him and attacked him with rods. Iron, according to what was reported by the American newspaper, The Washington Post.

The attack sparked European reactions, with Belgian and French officials calling for those involved to be held accountable, while Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot stressed the need to protect civilians and diplomats, calling on Israel, as the occupying power, to take measures to prevent the recurrence of these attacks.

For his part, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned the acts of violence, and described their perpetrators as "Israeli rioters," but criticized the failure to coordinate the diplomatic visit with the Israeli army. According to what was reported by Reuters.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office denounced what it described as a slander campaign against Israel and its settlers, amid international demands to investigate the attack and hold those responsible accountable.

The attack on the diplomatic convoy came one day after masked settlers attacked American photojournalist Heidi Levin, who works for the Washington Post newspaper, while she was covering attacks on Palestinians who were picking olives near the village of Abu Falah in the West Bank.

Levine suffered fractures in four vertebrae in her spine and a fracture in one of her ribs, in addition to other injuries, after she was beaten and kicked, according to the Washington Post.

The attack also sparked American condemnations, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed his deep annoyance at the incident, while US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called for those involved to be prosecuted and legal penalties imposed against them.

These attacks come in the context of the escalation of attacks on Palestinians during the olive harvest season, which annually witnesses tensions in various areas of the West Bank. The Guardian newspaper, citing the Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din, reported that the organization had monitored at least 170 attacks since September 27, coinciding with the start of the harvest season.

The latest attacks coincide with the approaching Israeli elections scheduled for October 27, amid criticism of the government's policies towards settlements and settler violence in the West Bank.

The targeting of foreign journalists and diplomats also raises concerns about the safety of media workers and diplomatic missions, in addition to the risks that Palestinians face during the harvest season.

The European condemnation places the Israeli government before renewed demands to take practical steps to prevent attacks and hold their perpetrators accountable, instead of simply condemning incidents after they occur, at a time when the circle of international criticism of settler violence and its repercussions on Palestinians, journalists and diplomats in the occupied territories is expanding.