Weekend of West Bank violence embodies Israel's defensiveness over scrutiny

Violence against foreigners in the occupied West Bank, particularly journalists, almost always garners greater attention than the reported daily attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians.

Often it's because the media is physically there at that exact moment, bearing witness to the crimes.

But it's also because of how the attacks prompt a very different response from authorities.

Unlike the assaults of Palestinians, which are often dismissed, ignored or sadly viewed as just part of daily life, those against foreign nationals are actually acknowledged.

Friday's beating of the Washington Post's Heidi Levine, and Saturday's attack against a group of European diplomats, are yet more sorry examples of this phenomenon.

But this weekend's commentary from Israeli officials and the country's backers also marked a shift in rhetoric.

Some bristled in their defence of settlers and their conduct, which many around the world view as reprehensible, while others accused the media of another antisemitic beat-up and even complicity in some sort of a Palestinian entrapment of innocent settlers.

It's further evidence of what many humanitarian organisations often accuse Israel of — that is, treating settler violence as a public relations problem for the country, rather than a deeper issue with individuals using violence to enforce what they see as their biblical right to land.

And even though some suspects have since been arrested by Israeli police, the criticism of the political response remains, as it shows how the situation on the ground is unlikely to change for the Palestinians who continue to bear the brunt of the violence.

Denial surrounding journalist attack

Levine, an accomplished Jewish American photojournalist who has lived in Jerusalem for decades and covered conflicts around the world, was beaten by masked Israeli settlers in the village of Abu Falah, north of Ramallah.

Her camera, phone and passport were stolen. Her injuries were so severe that colleagues later reported she underwent surgery on her hand.

Levine herself said she feared she wouldn't have survived the attack had she not been wearing a helmet and flak jacket. It's important to also note, that protective vest had the word "press" clearly plastered across its front and back.

Video from the scene showed Levine surrounded by settlers who threw her to the ground during the ordeal.

Compare that reality to the view Benjamin Netanyahu's office put forward hours later.

In a statement posted on X, and written in English rather than Hebrew given the international attention the case was getting, the Israeli prime minister's office said, "the facts surrounding the confrontation … remain unclear".

The statement went on to question whether it was the Israeli settlers or the Palestinians trying to harvest olives in Abu Falah who had "initiated the violence", and even suggested there was video showing Levine had been "immediately helped to her feet by the same unidentified individual" who had knocked her over during the "alleged assault".

Despite insisting "Israel unequivocally condemns violence against anyone", the prime minister's office was questioning the account of a victim of a brutal attack that had been caught on camera.

The rationale for making such a claim appeared less about letting an investigation run its course, and more about sending a message to constituents in the middle of an election campaign.

"We will not allow disputed incidents to be exploited to demonise the hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria," the prime minister's office said, using the biblical names for the area of the West Bank.

Violence prompts conspiracies

From the moment the attack hit the headlines, social media erupted with the usual chorus of support for the settler cause.

But this time the defence also included more disturbing insinuations about the role of the media in the mess.

David Friedman, the US ambassador to Israel during the first Trump administration, claimed the attacks were "petty violence" which was "all performative and being reported by journalists" in an attempt to push new smears against Israel.

Another former American diplomat, Ellie Cohanim, seized upon commentary asking how journalists knew to be in Abu Falah ahead of the violence between settlers and Palestinians.

"I wish Israeli authorities would find a permanent solution to the agitators who are coming into Israel & these communities explicitly to start another blood libel," she posted on X.

Writer Adam Louis-Klein went even further, demanding a police and IDF investigation into the Washington Post and suggesting the journalists and their contacts could have played a role in "inciting or instigating or engaging in violence against Israeli civilians".

They were positions that not only sought to shift blame and responsibility, but also totally overlooked a basic journalistic principle — to anticipate news events.

For years, the olive harvest in the West Bank has been a flashpoint for violence between Palestinians trying to safeguard their income and settlers trying to destroy their crop.

It was therefore unsurprising that it was an issue on the radar of the media.

Add to that, as Israeli media has itself reported, some settler groups issuing call-outs to attend and disrupt the harvest in towns and villages across the West Bank, and the conspiracy theories fray even further.

Arrests a rare development

On Saturday, the crisis took another turn when a delegation of European diplomats and officials, as well as representatives from the Catholic Church, were attacked in Taybeh, a predominantly Christian community north-east of Ramallah.

Again, condemnations of violence were wrapped in significant caveats.

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar argued the group hadn't coordinated their movements with the IDF beforehand, and that could have helped with their security — something which again didn't deal with the root problem.

Then the prime minister weighed in.

"These reports come amid concerns about a coordinated campaign to smear Israel and the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria during the annual olive harvest, relying on sensational headlines before the full facts emerge," his office said on social media.

"We may see further allegations in the coming days. By the time the evidence is fully examined, the reputational damage from premature conclusions may already be done."

Such comments are not entirely surprising given Israel is just a week away from an election, and they put Mr Netanyahu at odds with his political rivals who took a much firmer stance against the attacks.

But data about the crisis in the West Bank shows just how big the problem has become, and how the risk of ignoring it or diminishing it can end up fuelling the fire even further.

The United Nations said there had been 244 instances of settler attacks resulting in casualties or property damage from September 29 to October 12 alone.

An announcement on Monday that Israeli police had arrested 11 people in relation to the two weekend attacks on foreigners showed authorities were investigating the issue.

But it's a rare development, given the regularly reported lack of arrests and prosecutions of settlers when their victims are Palestinian.

And the chorus of allegations that Palestinians are actually to blame for it all only grows louder, after news a far-right political candidate's convoy was attacked by Palestinians on Monday afternoon while on a tour with pro-settler advocates.