Settlers attack European diplomats and French mayor near Taybeh in occupied West Bank

RAMALLAH — Israeli settlers attacked a delegation of European diplomats and a French mayor near the town of Taybeh, east of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, on Saturday, according to Palestinian officials and media reports.

The delegation included the French and Belgian consuls, a Polish representative and Catholic Church officials, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said. It said a French mayor was assaulted and a Belgian consular vehicle was damaged.

Bernard Baudoux, the 78-year-old mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, told AFP that masked settlers shouted insults about France, kicked him and hit him with an iron bar, according to Republika's account of his remarks. He did not need hospital treatment.

"I think that if settlers are behaving like this, there is a tolerance on the part of the Israeli government." — Bernard Baudoux, mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries

Differing accounts

Taybeh Mayor Suleiman Khoury told The New Arab the delegation had attended an event linked to a twinning agreement between Taybeh and a French city. The group then went to help farmers with the olive harvest west of the town, where settlers attacked them and smashed the windows of the Belgian consular vehicle, he said.

Khoury said the diplomats left without injuries but that two Palestinians were hurt. He put the number of attackers at about ten and said they came from seven outposts around the town, riding tractors.

Israeli army radio reported that seven masked attackers arrived in off-road vehicles, surrounded a diplomatic car and demanded identification before breaking a window of the Belgian vehicle. It said troops and police did not arrive for three hours, although they had received the delegation's location and footage within minutes, according to Anadolu Agency.

Reactions

The Israeli army called the incident a "serious incident of violence" and said police were collecting evidence at the scene. It also said the delegation had not coordinated its visit in advance and that no troops were present, according to Anadolu.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office alleged a "coordinated campaign to smear Israel and the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria during the annual olive harvest," using the Israeli term for the West Bank. Netanyahu said the diplomats should have coordinated their movements with the army, Middle East Eye reported. His office also noted that Baudoux is a communist known for supporting the Palestinian cause.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot urged Israel to "immediately stop the criminal violence" and arrest those responsible, according to Republika. Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot condemned the attack and said Belgium would keep pressing for sanctions on those responsible and their supporters.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry described the attack as evidence of "organized settler terrorism" and accused the Israeli government of protecting attackers. Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh called for a firm international response.

Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu's main rival in the coming Israeli election, accused the government of sponsoring "Jewish terrorism," Middle East Eye reported.

Background

The attack came during the olive harvest, which began earlier this month. The Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission reported 40 attacks and violations by Israeli forces and settlers against farmers, land and olive crops on Saturday, according to Anadolu.

On Thursday, settlers beat a US photojournalist working for The Washington Post who was covering the harvest, according to Middle East Eye. Republika reported that she was being treated for a spinal fracture, a detail not confirmed in the other sources. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee called for the attackers to be prosecuted and jailed.