Rubio, Huckabee US Lawmakers Urge Action After West Bank Attacks
By The Media Line Staff
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Israel on Saturday to intensify efforts to stop settler violence in the West Bank following two attacks within 48 hours involving a Washington Post photojournalist and a delegation of European diplomats.
“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.”
Masked attackers assaulted Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine as she covered an olive harvest near Abu Falah. A separate attack targeted European diplomats visiting Taybeh on Saturday.
The US State Department said it was “greatly concerned” about injuries to an American citizen overseas and condemned criminal violence in the region.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on X that Levine, an American citizen who was clearly identified as a photojournalist, suffered serious injuries in a “vicious & cowardly attack.”
“We have called for a full investigation, arrest, and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law to whoever participated in this,” Huckabee wrote. “Attacking a female photographer is despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards. Dishonorable act of senseless violence.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that it remained unclear whether the attackers were settlers or Palestinians, saying their identities were still under investigation.
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) preliminary investigation determined that soldiers were not present when the Taybeh incident occurred and that security forces arrived after the rioters had left.
“The IDF strongly condemns the severe act of violence that took place in the area of Taybeh, during which diplomatic representatives were attacked by Israeli rioters,” the military said.
Police launched an investigation after obtaining footage and began working with the Foreign Ministry to identify suspects, locate those involved and collect testimony. Officers entered the area with IDF protection to gather evidence.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., also demanded accountability. “Israeli authorities must hold those responsible for this attack accountable and stop enabling broader efforts to annex the West Bank,” she wrote on X. “The safety of Palestinians, Israelis and Americans in the region depends on it.”
Former Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz reposted a Washington Post video Friday, writing, “This is so hard to watch.”
Brought to you by www.srnnews.com
SRN News — View the original story at SRNNews.com.
