Settlers Attack Diplomats From 3 EU States in West Bank
The assault came just after a ceremony marking the signing of a twinning agreement between Taybeh and the French town of Saint-Pierre, Mayor Suleiman Khourieh told a Turkish news agency.
The French and Belgian consuls attended the ceremony, along with a Polish representative whose name was not disclosed and Saint-Pierre Mayor Christian Ravain.
The attackers targeted the delegation in the western part of Taybeh, as well as Palestinians who were picking olives there, Khourieh said. Several residents were injured, and the window of a vehicle belonging to the Belgian delegation was shattered, he added.
An Israeli radio broadcaster, citing witnesses and footage, reported that the attackers threw stones at one of the diplomatic vehicles and smashed its window. Footage showed a member of the delegation on the ground beside the vehicle. The broadcaster identified him as Bernard Boudot, a French politician and mayor of Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes in northern France.
Activists accompanying the diplomats sent the location and video evidence of the incident to the Israeli army’s operations room two minutes after the attack began, according to the broadcaster. It said no army or police forces arrived within three hours of the report to assist the diplomats, take their statements or collect evidence.
Khourieh called the attack “a flagrant violation of the sanctity of diplomatic and humanitarian work” and said it was part of ongoing restrictions on Palestinian farmers.
The Israeli army said in a statement that the consular visit had not been coordinated with it in advance. Israeli police separately announced that they had opened an investigation.
Olive Harvest Raises Tensions
Settler attacks on Palestinians and their land have intensified during the olive harvest, which began in early October and is a key source of income for thousands of Palestinian families.
Palestinian, Israeli and international rights groups have accused Israeli authorities of failing to stop settler violence or hold perpetrators accountable, despite attacks on Palestinians, their homes, farmland, vehicles and other property.
Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land are considered illegal under international law. Palestinians maintain their rights to the land and reject attempts to seize it.
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