US officials visit Palestinian village after settler attacks on diplomats

US diplomats visited a Christian Palestinian village in the West Bank on Sunday, following attacks by extremist Israeli settlers on European diplomats and an American photojournalist in recent days. Riley Barnes, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, Brian Burch, the US ambassador to the Holy See, and a number of other diplomats visited the Latin Convent church and were to meet with members of the Christian community in Taybeh. Belgian, French and Polish diplomats, along with a French mayor and Palestinian civilians, were attacked near Taybeh on Saturday by masked Israeli settlers. A day earlier, Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was taken to the hospital after being assaulted by settlers while covering a Palestinian olive harvest near another West Bank village. The diplomats’ visit came as US President Donald Trump endorsed his ally, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for Israel’s election on October 27. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee attended a settler conference in the West Bank on Sunday. Huckabee, an evangelical Christian and longtime supporter of Israel, earlier wrote on X calling for those who attacked the Washington Post photojournalist, a US citizen, to be jailed. Palestinian Amal Abu Awad, 62, collects olives after local volunteers spotted Israeli settlers moving in a vehicle on a nearby dirt road during the harvest in the West Bank town of Turmus Ayya, October 18, 2026. (AP Photo/ Leo Correa) UN bodies and most countries deem the settlements illegal under international law, but Israel rejects this, viewing the territory as disputed rather than occupied. Advertisement While Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and the IDF both blamed “Israeli rioters” for the attack on the diplomats, Netanyahu, whose coalition is projected to lose its governing majority, has been more circumspect. He has said the diplomats entered a “sensitive area with a history of confrontations without prior coordination” with the Israeli military, and that the facts of the attack on Levine were still “unclear.” France urged Israeli authorities to arrest Saturday’s attackers and to end criminal violence in the West Bank, but by Sunday, there was no announcement from Israeli authorities of any arrests in either of the two latest incidents. The West Bank is home to some 500,000 settlers and at least 3 million Palestinians. Settler attacks on the Palestinians are surging, with at least 170 since September 27, according to Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group. Journalists, activists and foreign observers have also been targeted. Yet arrests and prosecutions of Israeli settlers are rare. Advertisement On Sunday, Reuters reported a group of at least 10 settlers, masked and dressed in black, hurling rocks at Palestinians and activists harvesting olives near the Palestinian West Bank town of Salfit, prompting the farmers to flee. Israeli Border Police were in the area and shot tear gas towards the hills. Help us report truthfully on social media As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos. This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world. 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Sign in to stop seeing this Most Popular 1 Washington Post photojournalist beaten by settlers slams Netanyahu after surgery on nearly detached finger 2 Four Israeli soccer team officials arrested on suspicion of ‘systematic’ fraud 3 Hardline rabbi: Jews can take Palestinian olives to ‘demonstrate our ownership of the land’ 4 White House says Press Secretary Katie Zacharia ‘let go’ from role after 5 days 5 Tesla unveils new ‘flying’ car, but consumer rollout likely still years away 6 Fatal mass casualty incident at Canadian military base sparks major fire, leaves dead and injured 7 Rioters loot stores in Milan during cost-of-living protest featuring Palestinian symbols 8 Inside story Arab states see hawks ruling Israel no matter who wins vote, but still sense room for change read more: Israel & the Region West Bank settlements Taybeh Palestinian Christians West Bank settler violence Heidi Levine Mike Huckabee If you’d like to comment, join The Times of Israel Community. 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