EU 'strongly condemns' settler attacks on diplomats in West Bank and demands accountability

The European Union said on Sunday it “strongly condemns” attacks by violent settlers in the West Bank, including the attack on European diplomats near Taybeh on Saturday, demanding “full accountability” from Israel. The Times of Israel

“We take positive note of statements by several Israeli representatives who condemned the attacks, but we expect full accountability as well as effective measures to prevent continued acts of violence and violent harassment against Palestinians, including during the ongoing olive harvest season, as well as against journalists,” the bloc’s foreign policy spokesperson said. Reuters

The French Foreign Ministry also issued a statement on Sunday calling on Israeli authorities “to arrest those responsible for this serious attack and bring them to justice”, demanding Israel take all necessary measures “to put an end to these acts of terrorism and ensure the security of the civilian population and diplomatic missions, as they are required to do under international law”. The Times of Israel

The condemnations came a day after masked settlers attacked a convoy of European diplomats — including the Belgian consul general and French and Polish diplomats — near the West Bank village of Taybeh on Saturday, smashing the window of a diplomatic vehicle. Seven masked settlers surrounded the car and demanded identification documents before attacking it, according to testimonies. The Times of Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed there was a lack of “compelling evidence” surrounding the affair and appeared to suggest the incident was part of a “coordinated smear campaign”, even as the IDF and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the attack on Saturday. The Times of Israel

As of Sunday afternoon, no arrests had been made in either Saturday’s attack on the diplomats or the separate assault on Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine. Meanwhile, fresh instances of settler violence against Palestinians continued to be reported on Sunday. Palestinian media reported that settlers attempted to set fire to a trailer and construction equipment in Wadi Rahim in the south Hebron Hills on Sunday morning; no injuries were reported. Separately, the Palestinian Authority’s Wafa news agency reported that settlers blocked farmers from harvesting olives on Sunday in the southern West Bank town of Idhna and attempted to steal olive crops from farmers, with a similar incident reported in Umm Safa near Ramallah. The Times of Israel