Attacks in the West Bank bring Benjamin Netanyahu into a predicament

Attacks in the West Bank bring Benjamin Netanyahu into a predicament Radical Israeli settlers allegedly attacked an American journalist and European diplomats. Even Israel's close allies react with outrage. Chaotic days in the West Bank: First, an American journalist is beaten up, then a delegation of European diplomats is attacked. Radical Israeli settlers are blamed for both attacks. The violence in the occupied Palestinian territory brings Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the brink of the parliamentary election. The first incident occurred on Friday near Ramallah. The American photojournalist Heidi Levine reported for the "Washington Post" about the olive harvest of Palestinian farmers in the village of Abu Falah, as dozens of masked Israeli settlers appeared. Eyewitnesses from the Reuters news agency reported that some were armed with ropes and stone slingshots. The men first attacked the farmers and then the journalist. The attackers reportedly pressed on them for minutes, Levine later described. The 64-year-old suffered several bone fractures and had to be treated in the hospital. No more than 24 hours later, the next raid follows on Saturday. This time it affects a delegation of European diplomats from France, Belgium, and Poland. They also traveled to the West Bank to accompany Palestinian olive farmers in the harvest. The visitors were attacked by a group of Israeli settlers in the Christian village of Taybeh. The men allegedly smashed the windshield of a diplomat's vehicle. A French mayor who accompanied the delegation was reportedly thrown to the ground, beaten, and kicked. The 78-year-old came away with minor injuries. Demands for sanctions from Europe The incidents abroad are causing outrage. Matt Murray, editor-in-chief of the "Washington Post," condemned the "unjustified attack" on his colleague and called for a thorough investigation and criminal prosecution of the perpetrators. The American Secretary of State Marco Rubio also expressed dismay over the images. He said on Saturday that Washington has repeatedly urged Israel to act more decisively against the violence of the settlers. Mike Huckabee, the American ambassador to Israel, who is actually close to the settler movement, speaks of a "terrorist act." He wrote on the platform X that the attackers should go to prison for years. He demands a comprehensive investigation, the arrest of the perpetrators, and their criminal prosecution with all the force of the law. Reactions also come sharply from Europe. France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot calls on Israel to immediately stop the "criminal violence" and arrest the perpetrators. Poland demands an explanation from Israeli authorities. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot goes further. He holds Israel's settlement policy partly responsible for the violence and announces that he will further advocate for EU sanctions against violent settlers and their supporters. He demands that "impunity" come to an end. Netanyahu speaks of a "coordinated campaign" And in Israel? There, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacts contradictorily to the attacks. Although he condemns the violence against the journalist Heidi Levine and the European diplomats as "unacceptable," he questions the reports about both incidents. In the case of the American journalist, his office refers to other accounts, according to which around 200 Arabs and left-wing activists attacked about 40 young Israelis. Netanyahu also warns against premature conclusions after the raid on the European diplomats. There are indications of a "coordinated campaign" to discredit Israel and the Jewish inhabitants of the West Bank. He will not allow individual incidents to be used to demonize hundreds of thousands of law-abiding settlers. Levine rejected Netanyahu's account. In her interview with the American broadcaster NPR, she described it as "completely untrue" and "insulting." The Israeli army also seems to contradict the Prime Minister's account. After the attack on the European diplomats, it speaks of a "serious act of violence" by Israeli hooligans. Israel's President Isaac Herzog also spoke with the journalist Heidi Levine on Sunday, apologized for the attack, and called for tough action against the perpetrators. He stated that their behavior does not represent the values of Israel. A Raid Almost Every Day The criticism from the opposition is even sharper. Gadi Eisenkot, former Chief of Staff and one of Netanyahu's most important challengers in the election, speaks of "Jewish terror under the protection of the Israeli government." A handful of criminals damage the reputation of the entire country and endanger its security. The recent raids are not isolated incidents. Since the beginning of the olive harvest at the end of September, the Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din has registered at least 170 attacks on Palestinians. In the preceding months, attacks occurred almost daily. Critics in Israel and abroad accuse Netanyahu's government of having largely tolerated radical settlers in the West Bank for years. Netanyahu and no end: Who will win the Knesset election in Israel? In fact, his government has pursued settlement construction in the West Bank, not least under pressure from his right-wing coalition partners. Their voters belong to the right-wing camp to which Netanyahu is dependent in the upcoming election on October 27th. But in view of the settler violence, even Israel's closest allies are losing patience. What Netanyahu seeks to secure votes in the right-wing camp is now putting him in a predicament abroad as well as at home.