Israeli settlers attack a European diplomatic convoy in the West Bank and assault a French mayor, the Quai d'Orsay denounces an "extremely serious attack"

Increasing tension in the West Bank. Israeli settlers attacked a convoy of European diplomats who were visiting the occupied West Bank on Saturday, October 17, beating a French mayor, Bernard Baudoux, in a context of intensifying violence against the Palestinian olive harvest. The head of Israeli diplomacy, Gideon Saar, "strongly condemned these serious acts of violence", attributing them to "Israeli rioters", while also reproaching the European consulates concerned for not having coordinated the visit with the Israeli army.

Cars from the French, Belgian and Polish missions had brought diplomats to Taybeh, a predominantly Christian village in the West Bank, when settlers launched a raid to prevent Palestinian farmers from picking olives, witnesses told AFP. They made aggressive statements against the diplomats before kicking Bernard Baudoux, 78, communist mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries (North). “I think that if the settlers act like that, there is tolerance from the Israeli government,” the latter told AFP.

“France strongly condemns the aggression”

In a press release published on Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs "strongly condemns the attack by violent settlers on the mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries." “Representatives of several diplomatic missions, including the Consul General of France in Jerusalem and his Belgian and Polish counterparts, were also targeted and taken to task during this attack. France expresses its support and solidarity to them and reaffirms its unwavering attachment to their mission,” we can read.

“France calls on the Israeli authorities to arrest the perpetrators of this extremely serious attack and bring them to justice.”

“Beyond that, the Israeli authorities must take all necessary measures to put an end to these acts of terror and to guarantee the security of civilian populations and diplomatic missions, as they are obliged to do under international law,” the press release also indicates.

Previously, the head of the French Communist Party (PCF) Fabien Roussel denounced, on X, "state terrorism" which "is rampant in Israel". “Full support for my comrade Bernard Baudoux, mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries, brutally attacked by Israeli settlers while he was helping Palestinians harvest olives,” wrote the presidential candidate.

An open investigation

Belgium, whose consul general was on site, condemned "with the greatest firmness" this attack "perpetrated by masked settlers", through its head of diplomacy. Maxime Prévot confirmed that a “French mayor had been attacked” and specified that a Belgian vehicle had been “damaged”. The Israeli police announced that they had opened an investigation and said they were working to “locate the victims, collect testimonies and identify the suspects, in order to bring them to justice”.