Israeli police have detained 10 individuals during a rare enforcement operation against settlers following a weekend of severe violence in the occupied West Bank. The arrests were prompted by a series of incidents, including an assault on US photojournalist Heidi Levine, who described her ordeal as an “attempted lynching.” Where arrests are unusual, indictments rare and convictions even more unusual, israelis target Palestinians with near total impunity in the occupied West Bank. Or take action against Israeli civilians and soldiers who attack Palestinians, Israeli defence officials told the paper, commanders are reluctant to challenge settler leaders.
Levine, who was covering an olive harvest, reported that she was beaten, kicked, and knocked to the ground by a group of masked Israeli men on Friday. She sustained significant injuries, including four broken vertebrae, a broken rib, and lacerations that required surgery. Speaking from her hospital bed, she stated, “I was practically, basically lynched by a gang of Jewish settlers in the area of Ramallah.” According to levine, Her body armour and helmet had prevented even more serious injuries, and she considered herself “lucky” given the ferocity of the attack.
The day after the assault on Levine, another group of militants armed with sticks and iron bars targeted a delegation of European diplomats and Palestinians outside the town of Taybeh. During this incident, a French mayor was assaulted, a vehicle window was shattered, and a young Palestinian man was severely injured.
Despite the available video and witness evidence, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu questioned the accounts of these attacks, referring to the assault on Levine as an “alleged attack” and characterizing the reports regarding the diplomats as “unproven allegations.” His comments drew sharp criticism from international figures, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and Washington Post editor Matt Murray.
Police released footage of the raid on Monday and confirmed the detention of 10 people in connection with the violence and the establishment of an illegal outpost. A court later extended the detention of six suspects by three to four days.
Observers and human rights advocates, including Ziv Stahl of Yesh Din, noted that this official response was only triggered because foreign nationals were targeted. According to Yesh Din, there have been 561 incidents of settler and soldier violence against Palestinians recorded in the three weeks since September 27—an average of 26 daily. Stahl highlighted that 94% of investigations into settler violence against Palestinians are typically closed without charges. That is an average of more than 26 each day.
Levine observed that the global attention on her case underscores a double standard, noting that Palestinians frequently suffer from property loss and physical harm with little recourse. She described Netanyahu’s dismissive remarks as “a big slap on my face.” “People are dealing with this, undergoing attacks, losing property, losing family members, being injured all across the West Bank and nothing is being done,” she said.
Observers suggest Netanyahu’s rhetoric is a strategic effort to appeal to far-right voters ahead of the national election, given that his coalition includes extremist elements supporting the ongoing displacement of Palestinians. Recent reports, including documentation by Haaretz, indicate that internal military pressure and political influence often discourage commanders from confronting “Jewish terrorism” in the region. Apparently undermined by security forces arrests days later, were widely seen as an attempt to court far-right voters inside Israel, as the country heads into the final days of an election campaign, netanyahu’s statements.
Evidence of this systemic reluctance includes the response to a March attack on a CNN crew. While a battalion was suspended, reports indicated that the local brigade commander later visited the soldiers at their base to offer support and prayer, undermining formal disciplinary procedures. Central Command chief Maj Gen Avi Bluth suspended the battalion responsible from operational duty and announced disciplinary action against soldiers involved.
