Israeli settlers beat Palestinians and US photojournalist during West Bank olive harvest
Masked settlers attacked olive pickers in the village of Abu Falah, injuring at least six people including Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine, who was wearing a press vest.
At a glance
- Masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Abu Falah, West Bank, on Friday, injuring at least six people.
- Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine was beaten while wearing a vest marked "press"; she was treated at a hospital and is safe.
- Israeli police said they would investigate; the CPJ called the attack part of a pattern of violence against journalists.
Masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in the occupied West Bank village of Abu Falah, outside Ramallah, on Friday, injuring several people including an American photojournalist working for The Washington Post.
The Post said photographer Heidi Levine was reporting in the West Bank and wearing a protective vest clearly marked "press" when she was beaten. At least six people were injured in two attacks in Abu Falah on Friday, The Associated Press reported, citing the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
Journalist describes the attack
Speaking in a video filmed at a hospital, Levine said she saw a large group of masked men approaching from a hilltop. "We saw in the distance, in the hilltop, I would say at least 50 masked men, slingshots. And when they came running down, I was attacked, pushed to the ground," she said. "They just kept kicking me and kicking me." She said the attackers also tore her cameras and phone away from her, and that medical workers took her by ambulance to a hospital.
The Post reported that the attack began as Palestinians tried to gather their olive harvest, and that settlers set Palestinian olive groves on fire and hurled stones with slingshots.
Statements from the Post and Israeli police
Washington Post Executive Editor Matt Murray said Levine had received medical care and was safe. "We are outraged by this unwarranted attack on a journalist doing her job and urge a thorough investigation and follow-through from authorities," Murray said.
Israeli police said in a statement that they had received reports that a foreign journalist was injured, and that they would investigate the incident and "bring those involved to justice."
A wider pattern, press group says
The attacks come as Israeli settlers have stepped up assaults on Palestinians in the West Bank, according to the report. Earlier this month, Israelis beat Agence France-Presse photojournalist Jaafar Ashtiyeh while he was covering settler violence against Palestinian olive farmers in the West Bank.
Sara Qudah of the Committee to Protect Journalists said Levine's beating was not an isolated incident for journalists covering the West Bank olive harvest. "It's part of a disturbing pattern of violence and harassment against journalists regardless of their nationalities," she said. She added that the attackers have no reason to fear consequences because Israeli authorities have failed to stop them.
Source: NPR News.
Questions and answers
- Who was the American photojournalist attacked in the West Bank?
- Heidi Levine, a photographer for The Washington Post, was beaten while covering Palestinian olive farmers in the village of Abu Falah. The Post said she received medical care and is safe.
- How many people were injured in the Abu Falah attack?
- At least six people were injured in two attacks in the West Bank town of Abu Falah on Friday, according to The Associated Press, citing the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
- What did Israeli police say about the attack on journalists?
- Israeli police acknowledged reports that a foreign journalist was injured and said they would investigate the incident and "bring those involved to justice."
