Photographer attacked by settlers in the West Bank feels insulted by Netanyahu

JERUSALEM (AP) — The photographer with The Washington Post who was attacked by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank so badly that several vertebrae were broken said Sunday she was increasingly angry that Israel’s military seems to protect settlers more than the Palestinians they threaten.

The attack on Heidi Levine and Palestinians during the sensitive olive harvest — followed a day later by an attack on European diplomats in a Christian village — again highlights the rampant settler violence that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed on a small number of troublemakers.

Levine, from her hospital bed, has told The Associated Press she was “shocked and insulted” that Netanyahu referred to the attack on her and others as alleged, adding that the prime minister “had all the evidence on the table.”

But she described the sharp condemnation of settler violence expressed to her in a call from Israel’s president, and in a letter signed by several of the country’s top former security and intelligence officials. All expressed shame over the attack.

Netanyahu, two weeks out from close elections that could end his time in power, is again confronted with an issue that has drawn growing international condemnation. Much of the world considers the settlements in the West Bank illegal, and yet construction and expansion continue.

Hundreds of Palestinians have been attacked and a few have been killed this olive harvest alone, which started in late September, rights groups have said. Olive trees, a central part of history and heritage for Palestinians, have been destroyed.

Levine blamed “Jewish terrorists” for Thursday's attack and added: “I’ve been covering this region for over 40 years, and I have never seen this country in such a state as it is today.”

Levine was recovering Sunday from injuries that included what appeared to be stab wounds in her buttocks, which required stitches. There was nothing new from police on the case, she said.

U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, whose recent comments have condemned settler attacks on U.S. citizens but not on Palestinians overall, called the attack on Levine a “despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards” and said they should spend years in prison.

Separately, Israeli President Isaac Herzog called Levine, and Yair Golan, a former general and leader of the opposition Democrats party, visited. Netanyahu’s main rival in the elections, Gadi Eisenkot, said on X that “a handful of criminals is burning up the last shreds of legitimacy left to the state of Israel.”

Herzog was “actually very sweet,” Levine said Sunday. “Down to earth, calling them thugs, inviting me for a personal hug. He’s ashamed for what happened: ‘These people are a stain on Israeli society.’”

She said she has not heard from Netanyahu. She did receive, however, a letter signed by over a dozen former Israeli security, intelligence and other officials, including former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, former Mossad director Tamir Pardo and former Shin Bet director Ami Ayalon.

“We are deeply ashamed that Jewish terrorists in the West Bank continue to inflict suffering on innocent Palestinians, assault those who come to their defense, and target those who document and expose their despicable conduct,” said the letter, shared with the AP.

“Their brutality brings disgrace upon Israel and the Jewish people. Such acts undermine Israel’s security, its regional and international standing, and the moral fabric of our society. They represent a betrayal of everything we have devoted our lives to defending.”

The letter noted that “alas, with encouragement from the highest echelons of government,” only a fundamental change in policy can end the “disgraceful phenomenon.”

Levin told the AP that “I never wanted the story to be about me but about the people I’ve tried to document” over decades. She said she has sought to show how the violence is “increasing, becoming more and more dangerous.”

She has said the attackers — armed with bottles and slingshots — “were kicking me for like 10 minutes and I was trying to hold on to my cameras and my bag.” Her helmet and protective vest, which was marked “PRESS,” likely saved her from more serious injuries.

But she and others have openly wondered who will protect Palestinians. Rights groups have said few settlers are ever punished for the attacks that have surged in recent years.

“It’s about time you do something, Mr. Prime Minister,” Levine said.

As for herself, she plans to return to work.

“I’ve invested decades of blood, sweat and tears into this,” she said. “They cracked my bones, they haven’t cracked my spirit.”

Associated Press writer Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.