‘Israel’ releases settlers accused of attacking US journalist

• Nine of 10 suspects arrested over two settler attacks in the occupied West Bank have been released from custody and placed under house arrest.
• Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was injured while documenting a Palestinian olive harvest on Oct. 16.
• Masked settlers also attacked French, Belgian and Polish diplomats and a French mayor on Oct. 17.

‘Israeli’ authorities have released nine of 10 suspects arrested in connection with two attacks attributed to militant ‘Israeli’ settlers in the occupied West Bank, placing the suspects under house arrest, Reuters reported on Thursday, Oct. 22, citing a law firm representing the settlers.

The cases involve separate incidents in which masked settlers attacked Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine, who was covering Palestinian farmers harvesting olives, and a group of European diplomats accompanied by a French mayor. The incidents have drawn attention to violence against journalists, Palestinians and foreign officials in the occupied territory.

Levine sustained multiple injuries in the Oct. 16 attack while documenting the olive harvest near Ramallah. Footage of the incident showed masked settlers assaulting her as she reported on the seasonal harvest, which has increasingly been disrupted by attacks and intimidation targeting Palestinian farmers.

In a separate incident on Oct. 17, masked settlers attacked French, Belgian and Polish diplomats, along with a French mayor, in another part of the West Bank. The two incidents prompted investigations and the arrest of 10 suspects.

The handling of the settler attack suspects reflects a wider disparity in how ‘Israel’ treats Palestinians and ‘Israeli’ settlers in the occupied West Bank. Palestinians are generally subject to ‘Israeli’ military law, while settlers are generally subject to Israeli civilian law. Human rights groups say this dual structure leads to unequal enforcement and accountability, particularly in cases of settler violence against Palestinians.

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