The European Union has condemned an attack by Israeli settlers on a convoy carrying European diplomats in the occupied West Bank and called for measures to stop what it described as pogroms.
The 27-member bloc issued its statement on Sunday, the day after masked settlers attacked a visiting delegation near the Palestinian village of Taybeh, east of Ramallah.
Diplomats from France, Belgium and Poland, along with representatives of the Catholic Church, were visiting the predominantly Christian village to show support for Palestinian olive growers when masked men attacked them. The assailants threatened members of the delegation and smashed a window of a Belgian diplomatic vehicle.
Bernard Baudoux, the 78-year-old mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, said he was kicked and beaten despite wearing the ceremonial sash identifying him as a French official. "I was thrown to the ground," Baudoux said on Saturday.
The EU said it welcomed statements by Israeli officials condemning the attacks but expected "full accountability" and measures to prevent further violence against Palestinians and journalists. It also called on Israel to respect international law and halt the expansion of settlements in the occupied territory.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called on Israel on Saturday to arrest those responsible and protect civilians. Belgium confirmed its personnel were safe, though their vehicle had been damaged. Poland's Foreign Ministry said its diplomats were unharmed and that there was no indication they had been specifically targeted. Warsaw demanded an explanation from Israel and action against the attackers.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the violence on Saturday, describing the perpetrators as rioters and confirming that police had opened an investigation. He also criticised the delegation for failing to coordinate its visit with the Israeli military, arguing that advance arrangements could have helped protect the visitors.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said violence against diplomats was unacceptable but questioned whether video circulating online provided sufficient evidence to establish exactly what had happened.
The diplomatic incident followed a separate attack on Friday in the village of Abu Falah, near Ramallah, where masked settlers assaulted Palestinians harvesting olives and severely injured US photojournalist Heidi Levine, who was covering the farmers for a major American newspaper. Levine said she was beaten for more than ten minutes despite wearing protective clothing identifying her as a journalist. She suffered broken ribs and underwent surgery on her hand. Her camera, phone and passport were stolen.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters in Maryland on Saturday, urged Israel to crack down on settler violence and warned that President Donald Trump did not want another crisis in the West Bank. The US Ambassador to Israel described Levine's assault as a "despicable act of terror" and demanded prosecutions.
The attacks have disrupted an olive harvest that provides income for tens of thousands of Palestinian families. On Sunday, Israeli settlers cut down 120 olive trees on Palestinian-owned land in the village of Kisan, southeast of Bethlehem, according to Palestinian reports.
Farmers have reported assaults, stolen crops, damaged trees and restrictions preventing them from reaching their land. The United Nations humanitarian office said last week that nearly 200 settler attacks linked to this year's harvest had already caused casualties or property damage, exceeding the 185 incidents recorded throughout the entirety of last year's season.
