Weekend of West Bank violence embodies Israel's defensiveness over scrutiny

Violence against foreigners in the occupied West Bank, particularly journalists, almost always garners greater attention than the reported daily attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians.

Often it's because the media is physically there at that exact moment, bearing witness to the crimes.

But it's also because of how the attacks prompt a very different response from authorities.

Unlike the assaults of Palestinians, which are often dismissed, ignored or sadly viewed as just part of daily life, those against foreign nationals are actually acknowledged.

Friday's beating of the Washington Post's Heidi Levine, and Saturday's attack against a group of European diplomats, are yet more sorry examples of this phenomenon.

The attacks by settlers took place amidst the olive harvest in the West Bank. (Reuters: Ammar Awad)

But this weekend's commentary from Israeli officials and the country's backers also marked a shift in rhetoric.

Some bristled in their defence of settlers and their conduct, which many around the world view as reprehensible, while others accused the media of another antisemitic beat-up and even complicity in some sort of a Palestinian entrapment of innocent settlers.

It's further evidence of what many humanitarian organisations often accuse Israel of — that is, treating settler violence as a public relations problem for the country, rather than a deeper issue with individuals using violence to enforce what they see as their biblical right to land.

And even though some suspects have since been arrested by Israeli police, the criticism of the political response remains, as it shows how the situation on the ground is unlikely to change for the Palestinians who continue to bear the brunt of the violence.

Levine, an accomplished Jewish American photojournalist who has lived in Jerusalem for decades and covered conflicts around the world, was beaten by masked Israeli settlers in the village of Abu Falah, north of Ramallah.

Her camera, phone and passport were stolen. Her injuries were so severe that colleagues later reported she underwent surgery on her hand.

Levine herself said she feared she wouldn't have survived the attack had she not been wearing a helmet and flak jacket. It's important to also note, that protective vest had the word "press" clearly plastered across its front and back.

Heidi Levine was injured during an attack by Israeli militant settlers on Palestinians harvesting olives. (Reuters: Ali Sawafta)

Video from the scene showed Levine surrounded by settlers who threw her to the ground during the ordeal.

Compare that reality to the view Benjamin Netanyahu's office put forward hours later.

In a statement posted on X, and written in English rather than Hebrew given the international attention the case was getting, the Israeli prime minister's office said, "the facts surrounding the confrontation … remain unclear".

The statement went on to question whether it was the Israeli settlers or the Palestinians trying to harvest olives in Abu Falah who had "initiated the violence", and even suggested there was video showing Levine had been "immediately helped to her feet by the same unidentified individual" who had knocked her over during the "alleged assault".

Despite insisting "Israel unequivocally condemns violence against anyone", the prime minister's office was questioning the account of a victim of a brutal attack that had been caught on camera.

The rationale for making such a claim appeared less about letting an investigation run its course, and more about sending a message to constituents in the middle of an election campaign.

"We will not allow disputed incidents to be exploited to demonise the hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria," the prime minister's office said, using the biblical names for the area of the West Bank.

From the moment the attack hit the headlines, social media erupted with the usual chorus of support for the settler cause.

But this time the defence also included more disturbing insinuations about the role of the media in the mess.

David Friedman, the US ambassador to Israel during the first Trump administration, claimed the attacks were "petty violence" which was "all performative and being reported by journalists" in an attempt to push new smears against Israel.

Vehicles at the site where Belgium's foreign minister says a delegation of European diplomats and officials were attacked by masked settlers. (Reuters: Emad Diab)

Another former American diplomat, Ellie Cohanim, seized upon commentary asking how journalists knew to be in Abu Falah ahead of the violence between settlers and Palestinians.

"I wish Israeli authorities would find a permanent solution to the agitators who are coming into Israel & these communities explicitly to start another blood libel," she posted on X.

Writer Adam Louis-Klein went even further, demanding a police and IDF investigation into the Washington Post and suggesting the journalists and their contacts could have played a role in "inciting or instigating or engaging in violence against Israeli civilians".

They were positions that not only sought to shift blame and responsibility, but also totally overlooked a basic journalistic principle — to anticipate news events.

For years, the olive harvest in the West Bank has been a flashpoint for violence between Palestinians trying to safeguard their income and settlers trying to destroy their crop.

It was therefore unsurprising that it was an issue on the radar of the media.

Add to that, as Israeli media has itself reported, some settler groups issuing call-outs to attend and disrupt the harvest in towns and villages across the West Bank, and the conspiracy theories fray even further.

On Saturday, the crisis took another turn when a delegation of European diplomats and officials, as well as representatives from the Catholic Church, were attacked in Taybeh, a predominantly Christian community north-east of Ramallah.…