A Washington Post photographer was severely assaulted by masked settlers in the West Bank on Friday during a mission accompanying diplomats and activists in an olive-harvesting effort, highlighting a sharp rise in settler violence amid heightened tensions in the region.
Heidi Levine, 64, a veteran photojournalist covering the area for decades, was attacked while wearing a vest clearly marked "PRESS." According to witnesses, settlers beat Levine with sticks, kicked her repeatedly, and stripped her of her cameras and phone. She sustained multiple injuries including lacerations, a broken rib, four fractured vertebrae, and serious hand wounds, requiring surgery. She is currently in stable condition at Beilinson Hospital near Tel Aviv.
The incident took place near Taybeh, a Palestinian village known for olive farming. Bashar Fawadleh, parish priest at Taybeh Church, said the delegation had come to help farmers pick olives when settlers, who had previously stolen olives from the trees, launched the attack. The group also included diplomats, among them the Belgian consul and a French mayor. Fawadleh called the settlers "criminals without morals" and said they lack respect for human life.
Israeli officials offered competing perspectives on the events. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office condemned violence against diplomats but noted that the diplomats entered a sensitive area without prior coordination with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which was not present during the clash. The office also referenced a French mayor's previous display of a Palestinian flag on his municipal building. Israeli authorities said the full sequence of events and individual responsibility remain under investigation.
The IDF said its preliminary inquiry found no military presence at the scene. Witnesses reported that Israeli forces fired tear gas at Palestinians who threw stones at the settlers but did not intervene to stop the assault by the settlers.
The attack drew condemnation from multiple Israeli political figures amid a politically charged atmosphere, with the country approaching elections on October 27. Former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, and former Shin Bet head Ami Ayalon, among hundreds of former security officials, academics, and business leaders, issued a joint letter expressing outrage over the violence and solidarity with Levine. They criticized "Jewish terrorists" in the West Bank who have targeted Palestinians, defenders, and journalists exposing settler violence.
Opposition politicians seized upon the incident to criticize the government’s handling of settler violence. Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF chief of staff and leading election contender, described the attack as unacceptable and emphasized that the small group of rioters does not represent the Israeli public. Naftali Bennett, also contesting the premiership, accused the current government—particularly right-wing ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich—of "willful blindness" toward settler violence, pledging a tougher stance if elected. Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, warned that ongoing settler violence could severely damage Israel’s security and international standing.
The National Security Minister and Finance Minister, Ben Gvir and Smotrich, who support settlement expansion and live in the West Bank, have not publicly commented on the assault. Under their tenure, restrictions on settlers have reportedly been relaxed, coinciding with a rise in settler-related incidents over the past year.
U.S. officials also condemned the violence, with a spokesperson for Senator Mike Huckabee calling for a full investigation and prosecution of those responsible. Israeli President Isaac Herzog personally reached out to Levine, condemning the assault and vowing that Israel would confront such violence firmly, describing it as unrepresentative of Israeli values.
The Washington Post’s executive editor Matt Murray emphasized the indisputable nature of the attack and called for accountability. As investigations continue, the incident spotlights the increasing volatility in the West Bank and the challenges facing both Israeli authorities and the international community in addressing settler violence.