Israel Detains 10 Suspects After Settler Attacks on a US Photographer and Diplomats

Israeli police said they arrested 10 suspects in a pre-dawn operation tied to violent incidents in the occupied West Bank, including separate attacks on a U.S. photojournalist and on European diplomats, The Independent reported. Prosecutions of Israeli settlers are rare, and the arrests followed public pressure from Washington and several European governments.

Here is what is known about the case and why it is drawing attention.

Who was arrested, and on what suspicion?

Police said the 10 suspects were detained on suspicion of involvement in acts of violence, violating a closed military zone order and illegal construction. They were taken in for questioning and were not named. Israel's Army Radio reported that all were Israeli citizens.

Police, military forces and the Shin Bet domestic security service took part in the operation. A police video appeared to show at least one detainee, whose face was not visible, wearing ritual tassels known as tzitzit, which observant Jewish men often wear. It also appeared to show two slingshots found at one property.

What happened to the journalist and the diplomats?

On Friday, masked Israeli settlers were filmed attacking Heidi Levine, a Washington Post photojournalist and U.S. citizen, while she covered a Palestinian olive harvest. She was taken to a hospital and underwent surgery on a finger. According to The Independent, dozens of masked settlers, some of them armed, descended on the harvest, and some threw stones with slingshots.

On Saturday, masked settlers attacked French, Belgian and Polish diplomats and a French mayor in another part of the West Bank. A Belgian diplomatic vehicle was also damaged.

How have Israeli leaders responded?

Police commissioner Daniel Levy said the law applies to everyone “regardless of identity or affiliation,” and that police are committed to impartial enforcement based on evidence.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and the military blamed “Israeli rioters” for the attack on the diplomats. President Isaac Herzog apologized to Levine, saying the rioters who attacked her did not represent Israel's values.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a more cautious line. He said the diplomats entered a “sensitive area with a history of confrontations” without coordinating with the military, and he called the facts of the attack on Levine unclear. Levine has said her attackers were masked men wearing tzitzit tassels.

What pressure did other governments apply?

The United States, Israel's closest ally, had urged a crackdown on settler violence and the arrest of those who attacked the Washington Post photographer. France, Belgium and Poland, whose diplomats were targeted, also called on Israel to act.

Why does it matter?

The attacks hit a U.S. citizen working as a journalist and diplomats from three European countries, which put the issue in front of Israel's allies. The Independent noted that journalists, Israeli activists and foreign observers have increasingly been targeted, in addition to Palestinians.

The violence is also broader than these two incidents. Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group, counts at least 170 settler attacks on Palestinians since Sept. 27. Because prosecutions of settlers are rare, the arrests are notable, though police have not said whether any suspect will be charged.

The political backdrop is also significant. The Independent reported that Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition is projected to lose its governing majority in the Oct. 27 election.

Source: The Independent