Netanyahu warns of 'campaign to smear Israel' after European diplomats attacked in West Bank

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the incident in the West Bank, where a group of European diplomats claimed to have been attacked by Jewish settler extremists on Saturday, saying that "serious accusations require serious evidence.""We urge caution before drawing conclusions from today's reports that European diplomats were attacked by masked Israelis in Judea and Samaria. Any violence against diplomats is unacceptable. The more serious the accusation, the greater the demand for compelling evidence," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.The Prime Minister's Office: ALLEGED ATTACK ON EUROPEAN DIPLOMATS: SERIOUS ACCUSATIONS REQUIRE SERIOUS EVIDENCE. We urge caution before drawing conclusions from today's reports that European diplomats were attacked by masked Israelis in Judea and Samaria. Any violence against diplomats is unacceptable. The more serious the accusation, the greater the demand for compelling evidence. Here is what we know: - The diplomatic delegation entered a sensitive area with a history of confrontations without prior coordination with the IDF, as officially confirmed by the military. Such coordination is essential to protecting visiting diplomats and preventing violence. - The visit included Bernard Baudoux, a French Communist Party mayor who previously raised the Palestinian flag over his municipal building, prompting French authorities to order its removal. - Published footage shows masked individuals confronting a diplomatic vehicle. Separate images show a smashed window and a person lying on the ground. These images alone do not establish the complete sequence of events or individual responsibility. Those circumstances remain under investigation. - Israeli police and forensic investigators have launched an investigation to establish the facts and identify those responsible. These reports come amid concerns about a coordinated campaign to smear Israel and the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria during the annual olive harvest, relying on sensational headlines before the full facts emerge. We may see further allegations in the coming days. By the time the evidence is fully examined, the reputational damage from premature conclusions may already be done. We call on the public and responsible journalists to demand verifiable evidence, reject hearsay, and refuse to turn unproven allegations into a collective indictment of the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria.— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 17, 2026The statement by Netanyahu also claimed that the reports come amid a "coordinated campaign to smear Israel and the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria during the annual olive harvest, relying on sensational headlines before the full facts emerge.""We may see further allegations in the coming days. By the time the evidence is fully examined, the reputational damage from premature conclusions may already be done," the statement continued, adding that the PMO has "called on the public and responsible journalists to demand verifiable evidence, reject hearsay, and refuse to turn unproven allegations into a collective indictment of the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria."Masked men reportedly attacked European diplomats in the West Bank.Eisenkot calls incident part of 'Jewish terrorism'Former IDF chief of staff and head of the Yashar party Gadi Eisenkot said on Saturday that the settler extremists who attacked a group of diplomats are "Jewish terrorists" and blamed the government for the violence wave in the West Bank."What is happening in the West Bank is Jewish terror under the auspices of the government," Eisenkot said in an X/Twitter post. "Once again, within a single day, groups of violent lawbreakers attack foreign citizens -- and this time, diplomats and official officeholders."מה שקורה ביו״ש זה טרור יהודי בחסות ממשלת ישראל. פעם נוספת, בתוך יממה אחת בלבד, חוליות של פורעי חוק אלימים תוקפות אזרחים זרים - והפעם דיפלומטים ובעלי תפקידים רשמיים. מול עינינו מתרחש פיגוע מדיני וביטחוני חסר תקדים. קומץ עבריינים שורף את מעט הלגיטימציה שנותרה למדינת ישראל, מסכן את כוחות הביטחון ופוגע בהתיישבות ביהודה ושומרון ובביטחון הלאומי. אף אחד בהנהגה לא יוכל לטעון שלא העירו אותו בזמן ושלא התריעו בפניו.— Gadi Eisenkot - גדי איזנקוט (@gadi_eisenkot) October 17, 2026"A handful of criminals is burning up the last shreds of legitimacy left to the State of Israel, endangering security forces, and harming the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria and national security," Eisenkot added. "No one in the leadership will be able to claim that they weren't woken up in time and that they weren't warned."Ofer Winter, head of the People of Israel party, also condemned the attack. "The violence displayed by a handful of extremists in Judea and Samaria against diplomats is grave and deserves total condemnation. This violent fringe does not represent the residents of the West Bank," he said."Everyone who supports the settlement movement must condemn this violent fringe and take firm action against it," he added.Foreign Ministry condemns incident, Belgium demands sanctions against settlersForeign Minister Gideon Sa'ar also addressed the incident, saying that he "strongly condemned the severe acts of violence by Israeli rioters in the area of Taybeh" and that the ministry was in contact with the ambassadors of the affected countries."Without detracting from the severity of the incident, it is unfortunate that the visit was not coordinated with the IDF in advance. Such coordination could have helped safeguard the visitors' security," he added.I strongly condemn the severe acts of violence by Israeli rioters in the area of Taybeh. A police investigation has been opened, and forensic investigators from the Judea and Samaria District are already at the scene collecting evidence. The Foreign Ministry is in contact with the ambassadors of the countries concerned in order to assist the law enforcement authorities, who are working to identify the attackers and bring them to justice. Without detracting from the severity of the incident, it is unfortunate that the visit was not coordinated with the IDF in advance. Such coordination could have helped safeguard the visitors' security.— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) October 17, 2026The Belgian Foreign Affairs minister, Maxime Prevot, condemned the attack and added that the Belgian government will continue to push for sanctions against "those responsible for this violence and those who support them.""As the occupying power, Israeli authorities must protect Palestinians, ensure the safety of diplomats and journalists, and bring those responsible to justice. Impunity for violent settlers must end," he said, adding that the attacks "cannot be separated from Israel's illegal settlement policy."According to the IDF, the security forces didn't manage to arrive at the scene because no soldiers were present at the site during the attack. "The report was sent to the brigade operations room, which is designated to receive reports from security personnel only, and not from civilians," the military argued.