Israel Investigates Attack on Diplomats During Olive Harvest
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Diplomats from France, Belgium, and Poland reported being attacked by masked Israelis during an olive harvest near Taybeh village in the Benjamin region. Police have launched an investigation into the Saturday incident, which involved alleged vandalism of a Belgian Consulate vehicle. Both the IDF and Israeli Foreign Ministry condemned the violence, highlighting the visit's lack of prior security coordination. Belgium has vowed to pursue EU sanctions against those responsible.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Diplomats from France, Belgium, and Poland were reportedly attacked by masked Israelis near Taybeh village.
- A police investigation has been opened into the incident that occurred during an olive harvest.
- The IDF and Israeli Foreign Ministry condemned the violence and noted the visit lacked security coordination.
- A Belgian Consulate vehicle's window was allegedly smashed during the confrontation.
- Belgium plans to seek European Union sanctions against those responsible for the violence.
Diplomats from France, Belgium, and Poland reported being attacked by masked Israelis during an olive harvest near the Palestinian village of Taybeh in the Benjamin region. The incident, which occurred on Saturday, led to the opening of a police investigation. The Israeli military (IDF) and the Foreign Ministry condemned the violence, emphasizing that the visit was not coordinated with the army beforehand.
According to reports and circulated footage, a group of masked Israelis confronted Palestinian villagers and the visiting diplomats. The diplomats claimed a window of the Belgian Consulate's vehicle was smashed. Two Israeli activists present at the scene also reported being confronted by the masked individuals, who allegedly blocked their car, demanded identification, and threatened them.
The IDF stated that military forces are assisting the police in the investigation and condemned the attack by "Israeli rioters." They noted that the diplomatic visit lacked prior security coordination, which is intended to ensure visitor safety. Regarding claims of an unanswered real-time report, the IDF explained that no military forces were at the location at the time of the attack, and the message was sent to a divisional operations room designated for security personnel, not civilians.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar strongly condemned the incident and stated the Foreign Ministry is working with the ambassadors of the involved countries to identify and prosecute the suspects. He reiterated the importance of security coordination for such visits. Belgium's Foreign Minister condemned the attack and announced that Belgium would push for EU sanctions against those responsible and their supporters, linking the incident to Israeli settlement policy in the West Bank.
Yair Golan, Chairman of the Democrats party, called the reports a serious and dangerous event requiring immediate response, criticizing the government for increased violence in the West Bank, which he argued harms Israel's security and international standing. The police investigation is ongoing, with no arrests reported yet. Separately, Israeli forces responded to a report of an Israeli citizen injured during a clash between Israelis and Palestinians near Beit Lid in Samaria.
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