# US Officials Condemn West Bank Settler Attacks, Netanyahu Cries 'Smear'

> Masked Israeli settlers severely beat an American photojournalist and attacked European diplomats in the West Bank, prompting strong U.S. condemnation that contrasts with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's dismissal of the incidents as a "smear campaign."

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-18T16:45:44.849864Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/us-officials-condemn-west-bank-settler-attacks-netanyahu-cries-smear-0e1d89e3

On October 16, 2026, masked Israeli settlers severely beat American photojournalist Heidi Levine, 63, in the West Bank, followed a day later by an attack on European diplomats and others in Taybeh, injuring three people and damaging a vehicle [2][3]. These incidents have drawn strong condemnation from U.S. officials, contrasting sharply with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, which dismissed the reports as a "smear campaign" [1][4][8].

The incidents highlight escalating violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and international personnel in the West Bank, raising concerns about the safety of civilians and journalists, and prompting a diplomatic rift between the U.S. and Israeli leadership over accountability [1][2][3][11][13].

## What the records show
On Friday, October 16, masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian olive farmers attempting to harvest their crops in West Bank towns [2]. During this assault, Heidi Levine, a 63-year-old American photojournalist for The Washington Post, was severely beaten with clubs and other weapons [2]. Levine was clearly identifiable as a journalist and sustained multiple injuries, requiring surgery [2]. The U.S. State Department condemned the criminal violence in the West Bank and called for investigations and accountability [17][19].

The next day, Saturday, October 17, Israeli settler militants attacked a delegation of European diplomats, a French mayor, and the Archbishop of Cambrai in Taybeh, West Bank [3]. This attack, part of an effort to stop Palestinians from harvesting olives, injured three people and damaged a consular vehicle [3]. The European Union demanded accountability following this attack [5]. Belgian officials also reported attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank [13].

## The timeline
On October 16, masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian olive farmers, injuring American photojournalist Heidi Levine [2]. The U.S. State Department offered consular assistance to The Washington Post and condemned criminal violence in the West Bank [17][19]. On October 17, Israeli settler militants attacked European diplomats, a French mayor, and an archbishop in Taybeh, injuring three people [3]. That same day, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee denounced the attack on Levine as a "despicable act of terror" and called for the arrest and prosecution of those responsible [2][10][15]. On Saturday, October 17, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Israel to "crack down on that stuff" and take stronger action against settler violence [12][13][14].

## What changed and for whom
The attacks prompted strong international condemnation, particularly from the United States and the European Union, who demanded accountability and investigations [2][5][10][11][13][14][15][16][17][19]. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee called the attack on Levine "vicious & cowardly" and an "act of terror" [7][10]. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the U.S. expects Israel to take further steps to prevent settler attacks, saying, "We are very disturbed by those images and what we are seeing" [12][13]. The Israeli military itself condemned the violence [4].

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office dismissed accounts of the attacks as a "smear campaign" against settlers and Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria [1][4][6][8][9]. The Prime Minister's office claimed these reports were part of a "coordinated campaign" relying on "sensational headlines before the full facts emerge" [6].

## What we could not confirm
The names and nationalities of the European diplomats and the specific injuries of the three people attacked in Taybeh could not be confirmed.
The exact number of Palestinian olive farmers attacked or injured on October 16 could not be confirmed.
The current medical status of Heidi Levine beyond needing surgery and recovering in the hospital could not be confirmed.
The identities of the masked Israeli settlers involved in either attack could not be confirmed.

## Evidence cited
1. U.S. Officials Condemn West Bank Attacks as Netanyahu Casts Doubt on Them (www.nytimes.com) — https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/18/world/middleeast/netanyahu-settler-attacks-west-bank-palestinians.html
2. US ambassador to Israel calls West Bank settler attack on American photojournalist ‘terror’ (www.theguardian.com) — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/18/us-ambassador-israel-mike-huckabee-west-bank-settler-attack-photojournalist-heidi-levine
3. Israeli settlers attack European diplomats in West Bank (www.theguardian.com) — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/17/israeli-settlers-attack-european-diplomats-in-west-bank
4. European diplomats attacked by Israeli settlers in West Bank (www.bbc.co.uk) — https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c962ydpmjm3zo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
5. EU condemns Israeli settler attack on diplomats in occupied West Bank (www.aljazeera.com) — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/18/eu-condemns-israeli-settler-attack-on-diplomats-in-occupied-west-bank?traffic_source=rss
6. (October 17 2026) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday alleged a “smear” campaign against settlers, as the violent attack by Israeli settlers on a French mayor in the occupied West Bank drew international condemnation. “These reports come amid concerns about a coordinated campaign to smear Israel and the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria during the annual olive harvest, relying on sensational headlines before the full facts emerge,” his office said in a statement, using the  (middleeasteye.net) — https://middleeasteye.net/
7. (October 18 2026) The U.S. ambassador to Israel condemned a settler attack during the olive harvest in the West Bank in which an American journalist was beaten. In a social media post on Saturday, Ambassador Mike Huckabee called the attack on Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine "vicious & cowardly," citing that she is an American citizen and had identified herself as a journalist. Several Palestinians were also injured in Friday's attack. "Those who attacked unarmed reporter should spen (cbsnews.com) — https://cbsnews.com/
8. (October 18 2026) End of dialog window. ... This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. ... Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged a 'smear' campaign against Israeli settlers on Saturday, attempting to cast doubt on accounts of a settler attack on European diplomats visiting the occupied West Bank during the olive harvest. In a statement published on the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) social media account on Saturday even (newarab.com) — https://newarab.com/
9. (October 18 2026) Netanyahu claims there is a 'smear campaign' following settler assault on European diplomats in the West Bank. The office of the Israeli occupation Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, claimed on Saturday that settlers in the occupied West Bank are being subjected to what it described as an organized 'smear campaign. ' These claims came in the context of an official comment on an assault carried out by extremist settlers against a convoy including several European diplomats duri (alquds.com) — https://alquds.com/
10. (October 17 2026) US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee calls the attack on Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine a “despicable act of terror,” and those responsible should spend years in prison. Without specifically blaming extremist settlers, Huckabee says the details of the incident are under investigation. “Attacking a female photographer is [a] despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards. Dishonorable act of senseless violence,” he writes on X. Heidi Levine, photojournalist f (timesofisrael.com) — https://timesofisrael.com/
11. (October 18 2026) Trusted Mideast News. Sunday 10/18/2026. Donate · Search · About · Today · Personalize · Categories · Saved · Archive. Light Theme. Log In. Trusted Mideast News. Sunday 10/18/2026. Support · Search · About · Today · Personalize · Categories · Saved · Archive. Light Theme. Log In. Rubio, Huckabee, US Lawmakers Urge Action After West Bank Attacks. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks about Project Freedom during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 5, (themedialine.org) — https://themedialine.org/
12. (October 18 2026) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded Saturday night to the recent attacks in the West Bank, saying that the United States expects Israel to take further steps to prevent attacks by settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank. His comments came after footage showed people attacking Heidi Levine, an American photographer for the Washington Post. "We are very disturbed by those images and what we are seeing," Rubio told reporters. "We've asked the Israelis, and we continue to (i24news.tv) — https://i24news.tv/
13. (October 18 2026) The United States has expressed concern over attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that Israel needs to take stronger action to prevent these incidents. Rubio highlighted the disturbing nature of recent attacks, including one on Heidi Levine, an American photojournalist, during which multiple individuals were involved in the assault. This incident was part of a larger pattern of violence, as Belgian officials also reported att (moderndiplomacy.eu) — https://moderndiplomacy.eu/
14. (October 18 2026) “We're very disturbed by those images and what we're seeing,” Rubio said. “We've asked the Israelis and continue to ask them to crack down on that stuff.” Sunday 18/10/2026. Israeli settlers take part in a weekly tour in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 17, 2026. WASHINGTON. The United States wants Israel to do more to deter attacks committed by settlers in the West Bank, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday, after an American photojournalist, Eu (thearabweekly.com) — https://thearabweekly.com/
15. (October 17 2026) "Attacking a female photographer is [a] despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards. Dishonorable act of senseless violence," said Huckabee.
...
(October 17 2026) US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday night called for the investigation, arrest, and prosecution "to the fullest extent of the law" of the participants in the attack on photojournalist Heidi Levine. "Attacking a female photographer is [a] despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards.  (jpost.com) — https://jpost.com/
16. (October 18 2026) US Ambassador Mike Huckabee demanded prosecution of Israeli attackers of American journalist Heidi Levine in the occupied West Bank, calling the assault a despicable act of terror.
...
(October 18 2026) US demands accountability. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday called for the prosecution and imprisonment of individuals responsible for attacking an American photojournalist in the occupied West Bank, describing the assault as a "despicable act of terror" carried (yenisafak.com) — https://yenisafak.com/
17. (October 16 2026) The U.S. State Department said it was aware of the reports and contacted The Washington Post to offer consular assistance. “We condemn criminal violence by any party in the West Bank and support appropriate investigations as well as legal accountability for those responsible,” the State Department said, without mentioning the assault of the American photojournalist. Palestinian volunteers douse an olive tree set on fire along with a Palestinian-owned vehicle, reportedly by Isra (opb.org) — https://opb.org/
18. (October 18 2026) News and current issues, inclusive for all. WASHINGTON, Oct 17 - The United States (US) wants Israel to do more to deter attacks committed by settlers in the West Bank, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday. "We are very disturbed by those images and what we are seeing. We have asked the Israelis and continue to ask them to crack down on that stuff," he said. Rubio's comments to the media came after the widespread dissemination of video showing multiple individuals (newswav.com) — https://newswav.com/
19. (October 16 2026) "This is the latest in a long line of violent attacks by Israeli settlers against journalists and other civilians in the occupied West Bank. Yet our repeated calls for action to confront this lawlessness have been ignored by Israeli authorities," the Foreign Press Association said. ... The U.S. State Department said that "we condemn criminal violence by any party in the West Bank and support appropriate investigations as well as legal accountability for those responsible," addi (pbs.org) — https://pbs.org/
20. (October 18 2026) Menu KELO-AM Listen Live. News · Weather · Shows · Blogs · Podcasts; More. Contests · Events · Pictures. ×. Sign In · Search · News · Weather · Shows · Blogs · Podcasts; More. Contests · Events · Pictures · facebook · twitter. US wants Israel to 'crack down' on settler violence in West Bank, Rubio says. By Thomson Reuters Oct 17, 2026 | 6:49 PM. WASHINGTON, Oct 17 (Reuters) – The United States wants Israel to do more to deter attacks committed by settlers in ​the West Bank, US  (kelo.com) — https://kelo.com/