Israeli President condemns settler attack which left Washington Post photographer injured

According to Levine’s daughter, as reported by Associated Press (AP), she nearly lost a finger after it was deeply cut and she had other wounds across her body.

Herzog wrote in the wake of the attack. “I just called Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine, who was brutally attacked by violent rioters on Friday.

“As President of the State of Israel, I strongly condemn this outrageous and shocking violence, both the terrible attack on Heidi and other grave incidents of violence, such as what took place today in Taybeh.

“I expressed my deepest sorrow to Heidi and apologised for what she went through.”

President Herzog was emphatic that “the despicable behaviour of the perpetrators of this attack does not represent the citizens or the values of the State of Israel”.

In accordance with Israel being a democratic state, governed by the rule of law, he called on it to “act with full force against every form of violence. Each incident is being thoroughly investigated, and we await the findings.

“All government, security, and law enforcement authorities must use every means at their disposal to investigate thoroughly, apprehend these lawbreakers, and bring them to justice with the fullest extent of the law.”

The President added: “On behalf of the entire nation, I wish Heidi good health and a speedy recovery.”

Former Israeli security chiefs echoed Herzog’s words in a joint letter to Levine, which read: “We are deeply ashamed that Jewish terrorists in the West Bank continue to inflict suffering on innocent Palestinians, assault those who come to their defence, and target those who document and expose their despicable conduct.”

The letter continued: “[This] represents a betrayal of everything we have devoted our lives to defending.”

According to Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, the letter was signed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's former defence minister and IDF chief Moshe Ya'alon, former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, former Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon and former Israel Police chief Moshe Karadi.

Six former IDF generals, three of whom previously headed the military's West Bank command, also signed the letter.

Signatories said the letter was written on behalf of some 600 members of Commanders for Israel's Security (CIS), a group of former Israeli defence and diplomatic officials, and more than 200 members of Police Commissioners and Senior Officers for the Defence of Democracy, a group of former senior police officials, as well as former senior justice system officials, academics, and business executives.

A day after the attack, there were reports of more settler violence against European diplomats.

One of these was French mayor Bernard Baudoux of the Northern city of Aulnoye-Aymeries, who was part of a delegation in the West Bank.

The mayor said the settlers kicked him and beat him with iron bars and threw him to the ground, as reported by AP.

“It's the gratuitous nature of the violence that stuns me,” he said. “They arrived completely enraged.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has since cast doubt on the “sequence of events”.

It said that the images which have spread on social media “do not establish the complete sequence of events or individual responsibility”.

“Those circumstances remain under investigation. Israeli police and forensic investigators have launched an investigation to establish the facts and identify those responsible,” it added.

Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, who condemned the attacks, said: “Without detracting from the severity of the incident, it is unfortunate that the visit was not coordinated with the IDF in advance. Such coordination could have helped safeguard the visitors' security.”

The IDF also condemned the attacks and confirmed that no soldiers had been there at the time.