Ten suspects were arrested early this morning following attacks by settlers in the West Bank on foreign diplomats and a photojournalist over the weekend, Israel Police have announced.
The arrests were part of “Operation Olive Leaf,” a joint effort by the police, the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) and the Israel Defense Forces.
The suspects face a range of allegations including involvement in the violence, illegal construction and violating a military order declaring a closed military zone.
Police said officers seized items allegedly linking the suspects to the offenses. Several vehicles were also confiscated
Israeli President Isaac Herzog had condemned the attacks, in one of which on Friday Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine was injured, suffering a broken rib and other injuries.
She said afterwards: “They jumped on me. I saw at least 25, maybe 50 people at first, and I found myself on the ground as they kicked me for about ten minutes.
“Then they forced me to stand up and kicked me again. All I remember after that is that Palestinians came and rescued me. It's absolute madness, and I didn't see anyone trying to stop it.”
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”.
He call on Israel as a democratic state governed by the rule of law 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.”
Herzog 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.”
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.
European diplomats on a delegation in the West Bank were also targeted in the attacks, including the mayor from the French city of Aulnoye-Aymeries, Bernard Baudoux.
The mayor said the settlers kicked him and beat him with iron bars and threw him to the ground.
“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.
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.
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