West Bank Settler Attacks Test Israel's Security Response

On October 16, masked Israeli extremists attacked Palestinian olive harvesters near Abu Falah, injuring American photojournalist Heidi Levine and prompting U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to demand stronger action from Israel. Levine, a Washington Post photographer wearing clearly marked press gear, went to hospital and underwent surgery for a severe hand injury. Rubio said the United States was “very disturbed by those images and what we're seeing” and had asked Israel to “crack down on that stuff.”

Attacks During the Harvest

Yesh Din, an Israeli settlements monitoring group, said settlers had carried out at least 170 attacks on Palestinians since September 27, around the start of the annual olive harvest. Foreign visitors have also faced attacks. On October 17, masked Israelis reportedly assaulted a delegation visiting olive groves near the Palestinian Christian village of Taiba. Diplomats from Belgium, France and Poland were present. A Belgian consular vehicle was damaged, and French Mayor Bernard Baudoux was reportedly assaulted.

Police opened an investigation into the Taiba attack, which the IDF condemned. The IDF said an alert during the incident went to a brigade operations room intended for security personnel, not civilians. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned the assault and said advance coordination with the IDF could have helped protect the delegation. Belgium's foreign minister said European diplomats and a French mayor had also been attacked in the occupied West Bank.

Rubio said the State Department had asked about the incident involving Levine and that he expected a response from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem by Sunday. On Saturday, President Isaac Herzog called Levine, expressing “deep sorrow” and apologizing for what she experienced. He urged law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those responsible. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said, “Any violence against diplomats is unacceptable,” but added that video footage didn't establish the complete sequence of events and pointed to the ongoing police investigation.

Security Measures and Political Accountability

On October 8, Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed officials to pursue administrative removal orders against activists considered threats to public order during the harvest. The Yesha Council, which represents Israeli settlements, had requested action, citing concerns about provocations and confrontations. The directive targeted left-wing and foreign activists accompanying Palestinian farmers. A Jerusalem Post editorial said the IDF had prepared for nationalist violence, clashes and terrorist attacks, and planned to reinforce its West Bank presence. It called on officials to establish what forces were available, when warnings arrived and how units responded.

The editorial also referred to a reported warning during the previous week about a planned Hamas attack. Netanyahu's office said video of the attacks didn't show the full sequence of events and described reports about Baudoux as part of a campaign to smear Israel and Jewish residents of the West Bank. The office noted that Baudoux had previously raised the Palestinian flag over his municipal building, prompting French authorities to order its removal. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee condemned a separate West Bank incident in August, calling violent intruders “Israeli terrorists” and saying there was “no excuse for such thuggish behavior.”

Israel is preparing for an October 27 election after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Public support for the war's aims exists alongside domestic divisions, while Netanyahu's far-right allies seek to reshape Israel into a religious-nationalist Jewish state. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, and the Gaza campaign has left Israel with pariah status in many once-friendly Western countries.

Political scientist Gideon Rahat said the election concerned “the future of the state in a literal sense.” He also said, “The state without a monopoly on the use of force is a failed state.” Netanyahu's government has expanded settlements in the occupied West Bank, where settlers have attacked Palestinians on their land and authorities have sometimes pushed back. Debate over Netanyahu's handling of the October 7 attack also shapes the election campaign. Opposition leaders have focused on his failure to prevent it, while Netanyahu has denied reports that he ignored warnings and blamed security chiefs.