Israeli Settlers Attack European Diplomats in Palestinian Town

Israeli settlers have attacked European diplomats, a French mayor and an archbishop in the Palestinian town of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank, injuring three people and smashing a window of an armoured vehicle belonging to the Belgian diplomatic mission.

According to a report by the British newspaper The Guardian, the settlers targeted Palestinian farmers harvesting olives before attacking the diplomats. They assaulted an elderly woman and seriously injured a man, who required six stitches to his head. The incident took place on Saturday in Taybeh, where Bernard Baudoux, the mayor of the French town of Oullins-Pierre-Bénite, the French consul general and his wife, the Belgian and Polish consuls, and other diplomats were participating in an olive harvest activity.

French Mayor Bernard Baudoux was attempting to get into a vehicle bearing diplomatic number plates when a masked assailant pushed him to the ground. According to an eyewitness, the attacker also shouted, “Long live France!” during the assault. The group of attackers consisted of seven people, some of whom were carrying sticks. They also threatened the French mayor’s wife and Vincent Dollmann, the Archbishop of Cambrai. During the attack, a window of an armoured vehicle belonging to the Belgian diplomatic mission was also smashed.

Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot condemned the attack, saying that no one should face the risk of being assaulted for harvesting olives, reporting the news or carrying out diplomatic duties. He said Belgium would continue its efforts to impose European Union sanctions on Israeli settlers. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also called on Israel to take further measures to stop settler attacks. “We are deeply concerned about what we are seeing,” he said. “We have urged Israeli officials to take strong action against such incidents.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the attack and said police had launched an investigation. However, he stated that foreign diplomats should coordinate with the Israeli military before visiting the occupied West Bank. According to the Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din, Israeli settlers have carried out more than 170 attacks in the West Bank since September 27. Palestinian officials say at least four people have been killed and more than 100 injured in these incidents, while thousands of olive trees have also been damaged. Father Bashar Fawadleh, the priest of Taybeh, said that such violence was deeply concerning, particularly when it occurred in the presence of diplomats. He said no Palestinian should have to risk being subjected to violence to harvest olives from their own land.