West Bank, Washington Post journalist: "Brutally attacked by settlers"
Quick Look
- Heidi Levine, a 63-year-old Washington Post journalist, was attacked by about 80 masked settlers in the village of Abu Falah, north of Ramallah, while covering the olive harvest in the West Bank.
- The attack, which came 10 days after a similar attack on an AFP photographer, left injuries and fractures.
- Levine, recognizable by her 'Press' vest, was kicked repeatedly and robbed of equipment before being rescued by Palestinian colleagues and taken by ambulance.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Heidi Levine, an American journalist for the Washington Post, was documenting the olive harvest by Palestinian farmers in the village of Abu Falah, north of Ramallah, when she was attacked by a group of masked settlers. The incident comes 10 days after a similar attack on AFP photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh in the northern West Bank village of Aqraba.
Heidi Levine, a 63-year-old journalist for the Washington Post, reported being attacked by settlers in the village of Abu Falah, north of Ramallah, in the West Bank, while she was easily identifiable while carrying out her work as she was wearing a jacket with the word 'Press' clearly visible on the front and back. ''I was brutally attacked, thrown to the ground. They kept kicking me, like fifty times. Luckily I had my protective vest and helmet. Otherwise I probably wouldn't be here", said Levine, currently hospitalized with ''injuries and several bills'', as Palestinian doctor and MP Mustafa Barghouti wrote on 'X'.
Attacked by "masked men"
''After about ten minutes they forced me to stand up and then threw me to the ground, and they kicked me again'', continued the American journalist, describing the attack by ''masked men'' and explaining that she had seen ''about fifty of them coming down the hill'', while she was following the olive harvest in the West Bank for her newspaper. Claiming to have been robbed of her equipment, Levine said she was ''taken away by my Palestinian colleagues and the medical service put me in an ambulance''. Then a thought for his son Michael: "He always told me that his greatest fear was that his mother would be killed by the settlers. We talked about it just yesterday,'' he said. ''I don't know which parent could have raised monsters like them,'' he said, referring to his attackers. Various testimonies and a video of the accident confirm the story. The attack came 10 days after settlers beat Agence France-Presse photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh with rifle butts in the northern West Bank village of Aqraba.
Investigation opened by the IDF
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the police have opened an investigation into the attack by around 80 settlers against the journalist and Palestinian farmers who were harvesting olives. The military says troops and Border Patrol agents were sent to the area after being alerted to a "violent clash" taking place. Israeli forces arrived at the scene and "acted to disperse the clash using anti-riot means", the army said in a statement, adding that "the clash was dispersed". The Israel Defense Forces said that "all circumstances surrounding the incident will be examined".
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The IDF investigation will lead to the identification and prosecution of some of those responsible for the attack within the next few weeks.
Possible · Within weeks
The incident will increase international pressure on Israel to improve the protection of journalists in the occupied territories.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What will be the conclusions of the investigation opened by the Israel Defense Forces?
- Will action be taken against those responsible for the attack?
- How will security measures change for journalists working in the West Bank?
- What is the connection between this incident and the overall increase in settler violence against Palestinians and international observers?
