Rubio warns of West Bank ‘crisis’ as settlers attack diplomats and a French mayor

Vehicles at the site where Belgium's foreign minister says masked settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank attacked Palestinians, Catholic representatives and Western diplomats and officials, in Taybeh, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 17, 2026. EMAD DIAB / EMAD DIAB VIA REUTERS Israeli settlers attacked a convoy of European diplomats in the West Bank and beat up a visiting French mayor on Saturday, October 17, witnesses said, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned against a brewing "crisis" in the territory a day after an American photojournalist was injured in a brutal attack. Violence is surging ahead of bitterly fought October 27 elections, coinciding with Palestinians' annual olive harvest which has been repeatedly disrupted by Israeli settlers as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to shore up his pro-settlement right-wing base. On Saturday, the 78-year-old mayor said masked settlers yelled defamatory comments about France and kicked and hit him with iron bars as he joined Palestinian olive farmers in the West Bank alongside top French and Belgian representatives in Jerusalem and Polish diplomats. "I think that if settlers are behaving like this, there is a tolerance on the part of the Israeli government," Bernard Baudoux, mayor of the northern French town of Aulnoye-Aymeries, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) after he was attacked. "The whole world needs to know what's happening," he said. "For me, I'll go back to my country and everything will be fine. Those who continue to suffer the most are those who are here." Baudoux, who was wearing a sash with the French tricolor, was seen collapsed on the side of the car after the attack but he did not need hospital care. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in a statement that Israel must "urgently halt criminal violence" and arrest those responsible for attacking Baudoux, while his Belgian counterpart issued a similar call. The attack came just one day after settlers beat up Heidi Levine, an American photographer for the Washington Post , who was in a moderate condition on Saturday after suffering broken vertebrae. Read more Subscribers only Pressure and violence against journalists intensify in Israel "We're very disturbed by those images and what we're seeing," Rubio told reporters Saturday, adding that US President Donald Trump "does not want to see friction or anything – a crisis going on in the West Bank." Trump "doesn't want to see a new spark," Rubio added. Election season Israel's foreign ministry condemned the attack on the diplomats and Israeli police promised to open an investigation. But Netanyahu, who is seeking to shore up support from the fiercely pro-settlement far-right in this month's election, instead alleged a "smear" campaign against settlers. Help us improve Le Monde in English Dear reader, We’d love to hear your thoughts on Le Monde in English! Take this quick survey to help us improve it for you. Take the survey Netanyahu said the diplomats should have coordinated their movements with the Israeli military and pointed out that Baudoux is a communist known for supporting the Palestinian cause. His main rival in the elections, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, slammed Netanyahu over the violence, saying it was "burning away the little legitimacy the State of Israel still possesses." The attacks are "Jewish terrorism, under the auspices of the Israeli government," Eisenkot said. Read more Subscribers only In the occupied West Bank, one Palestinian family's story shows the limits of the Israeli court system President Isaac Herzog, who holds a mostly ceremonial role, called Levine in hospital on Saturday, saying the attack was "outrageous and shocking" and weighed on his conscience. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee said the beating was "a despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards," and demanded Israel prosecute and jail the assailants. Attacks on cultural symbol Baudoux, the mayor, said he had come to the town of Taybeh, a Christian stronghold, along with his local pastor from France to sign a goodwill agreement. He was attacked as he joined the harvest as a symbolic gesture with Palestinians, for whom olives are an important cultural symbol. Rubio also acknowledged the season, and added "there are other instances we've heard complaints about." Extremist Israelis have issued calls to stop the Palestinians' annual harvest after months of attacks in which settlers have stolen land and property. There has also been violence against Israelis, with a Palestinian fatally shooting a settler last month. Le Monde with AFP