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 spend YRS (years) in prison,” Huckabee wrote, adding that he had called for a “full investigation, arrest and prosecution” of the assailants.
“Attacking a female photographer is despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards,” he said, “dishonorable act of senseless violence.”
Video of the incident obtained by CBS News showed a group of around 20 masked men clad in black or gray clothes descending a hill from the area of an Israeli settlement outpost into an olive grove near the Palestinian village of Abu Falah.
Video shared by the Israel-based Foreign Press Association showed Levine was surrounded by masked men, pushed to the ground and beaten, and her camera equipment taken from her.
In a statement on Friday, the Washington Post confirmed the attack, saying Levine “was knocked to the ground, repeatedly kicked and robbed of her cameras and phone despite wearing a protective vest marked ‘PRESS’ and a helmet.”
Israel’s police and military said they had opened investigations into the incident.
In the wake of the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned “violence against anyone” but referred to the attack as “alleged” and said its circumstances remain unclear.
Levine, an award-winning photojournalist who has covered conflict zones around the world for more than four decades, remains hospitalized in Tel Aviv as she recovers from hand surgery, broken ribs and other injuries she sustained in the attack. She said she was forced to the ground and beaten for more than 10 minutes by the settlers, who also stole her camera, passport and phone.
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