US Ambassador condemns Israeli settler attack on Washington Post journalist
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has condemned an Israeli settler attack on an American photojournalist in <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/west-bank/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/west-bank/">the occupied West Bank</a>, demanding a full investigation, arrests and the prosecution of those responsible. Heidi Levine of <i>The Washington Post</i> suffered serious injuries when she was attacked by <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/israel/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/israel/">Israeli</a> settlers on Friday morning, the newspaper’s executive editor Matt Murray said.
“Attacking a female photographer is a despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards,” Mr Huckabee said in a post on X early on Sunday. “Dishonourable act of senseless violence.” The US envoy said Ms Levine had been clearly identified as a journalist and was unarmed. He called for those involved to spend years in prison and demanded prosecution “to the fullest extent of the law”. <i>The Washington Post</i> said Ms Levine was <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/16/settlers-beat-washington-post-journalist-during-attack-on-palestinian-olive-harvest/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/16/settlers-beat-washington-post-journalist-during-attack-on-palestinian-olive-harvest/">attacked when "dozens of masked settlers”</a> set fire to shrubs and threw rocks in a “co-ordinated assault” on <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/palestine/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/palestine/">Palestinian</a> olive harvesters.
“She was knocked to the ground, kicked repeatedly and stripped of her cameras and phone,” the paper said. Ms Levine was later taken to hospital in Ramallah. Photos showed her lying on a trolley with a wound dressing on the left leg and a gash on her right knee, among other injuries. The attack comes amid renewed international concern over Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, after European diplomats and a French mayor were assaulted by masked people in a separate incident on Saturday.
Left out here: Writes Palestinians out of their own story
The article describes Levine's injuries in detail but never says that Palestinian harvesters were also hurt in the same assault. Other outlets reported several people seriously injured, with at least two Palestinian men wounded. Without this, a reader believes the American journalist was the only casualty.
How we know
- The New York Times reported“seriously injuring several people, including a veteran Washington Post photographer”Israeli Settlers Attack Palestinians and Washington Post Journalist in West Bank (opens in a new tab)
- Common Dreams reported“at least two Palestinian men were reportedly wounded in the attack”Israeli Settlers Brutally Beat Washington Post Journalist Heidi Levine While Attacking Palestinian Olive Farmers (opens in a new tab)
Belgium criticised the attack on its consul general and the other diplomats and urged Israel to bring those responsible to justice. Poland’s Foreign Ministry said preliminary evidence indicated Israeli settlers were responsible for the assault. Polish diplomats travelling in the convoy were unharmed, the ministry said. “We expect the Israeli authorities to provide urgent and detailed explanations, identify those responsible and ensure that they are held accountable,” it added.
“We also expect effective measures to be taken to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the mayor of a French town had also been assaulted by what he described as “extremist settlers” during Saturday’s incident. He called on Israeli authorities to stop the violence. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called Ms Levine to apologise for the attack and urged an investigation. The Israeli military described the violence as intolerable and said the incidents would be investigated.
Left out here: Softens settler violence
The article gives the Israeli military only as a body that called the violence intolerable and promised an investigation. It never says that a journalist at the scene reported soldiers giving the settlers cover with tear gas and machine guns and shooting a Palestinian bystander, or that video showed soldiers blocking the road. Without this, a reader believes the army stood apart from the attack and is a neutral investigator of it.
How we know
- Al-Monitor reported“the Israeli military “provided cover, with tear gas and machine guns,” for the settlers and later “shot a Palestinian bystander”Washington Post journalist hospitalized after Israeli settler attack in West Bank (opens in a new tab)
- CNN reported“Another video shows Israeli soldiers blocking the road.”Washington Post journalist hospitalized after Israeli settler attack on Palestinian olive harvest in West Bank (opens in a new tab)
- On the recordWest Bank settlers operate armed by the Israeli state and accompanied by the Israeli army.newscord.org (opens in a new tab)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the circumstances remained unclear and more evidence was needed before responsibility could be established. It also noted that the diplomats’ visit had not been coordinated with Israeli security officials. Britain, France, Canada and other countries announced sanctions focused on Israeli settlements last month, while the US said it would not join those measures.
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