US Photographer Attacked by Jewish Settlers, Undergoes Surgery
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
American photographer Heidi Levine of The Washington Post underwent surgery for a severely injured finger after being attacked by Jewish settlers near Ramallah on Friday. She also sustained fractures and cuts during the assault, which she described as being kicked repeatedly for ten minutes. The incident occurred during an olive harvest, with Palestinian reports alleging settlers initiated the violence. The U.S. Embassy and The Washington Post have condemned the attack and called for a thorough investigation.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine required surgery after being attacked by Jewish settlers near Ramallah.
- Levine sustained a finger injury down to the bone, a fractured rib, and fractured vertebrae.
- The attack occurred during an olive harvest where settlers allegedly initiated violence against Palestinian villagers.
- Levine, wearing a vest and helmet, stated she was kicked repeatedly for ten minutes.
- The U.S. Embassy and The Washington Post condemned the attack and called for an investigation.
Heidi Levine, a photographer for the American newspaper The Washington Post, underwent surgery on her finger Saturday after being attacked by Jewish assailants the previous day. According to her daughter, Ashley Milner, Levine's finger was cut to the bone, exposing a tendon, and she also suffered a fractured rib and several fractured vertebrae, along with cuts across her body.
Levine described the attack, which occurred near the Palestinian village of Abu Falah in the Ramallah area, stating she was "attacked and thrown to the ground." She was wearing a protective vest and helmet, which she believes saved her life. She recounted being kicked repeatedly for approximately 10 minutes while trying to protect her equipment. Levine, who resides in Jerusalem and has covered conflicts in the Middle East since 1983, identified her attackers as "Jewish terrorists" and expressed doubt they would be prosecuted.
The incident reportedly began when around 80 Jewish settlers descended from a hill above an olive grove where Palestinian villagers were harvesting olives. Palestinian reports claim the settlers set fire to olive trees and threw stones at the villagers, who retaliated in self-defense. A farmer present at the scene told Reuters that the settlers aimed to "attack us and expel us from our homes."
Israeli forces, including the IDF and Border Police, were deployed to the outpost of Shvut Zion in the Samaria region following clashes between Israelis and Palestinians. It is suspected that settlers arrived to disrupt the olive harvest, leading to stone-throwing from both sides and injuries to several Palestinians. Conflicting accounts emerged regarding an injured Israeli citizen, with initial reports of a vehicular ramming attack later suggesting a stolen Palestinian vehicle was involved in an accident, or that Arab Israeli vehicles fleeing the scene struck a settler.
The Washington Post's Editor-in-Chief, Matt Murray, called for an investigation, emphasizing that Levine was clearly identifiable as a journalist. He expressed anger over the "unjustified attack" and called for thorough action from the authorities. A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem condemned the attack, stating the U.S. government prioritizes the safety of Americans abroad and is monitoring the situation, while also calling for investigations and prosecutions of those responsible for criminal violence.
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