Israeli settlers attack European diplomats, beating French mayor: Report

Masked Israeli settlers attacked a convoy of European diplomats in the West Bank on Saturday during the Palestinian olive harvest. The delegation, which included representatives from France, Belgium, Poland, and the Catholic Church, was visiting the village of Taybeh to assess the situation regarding settler attacks on farmers. According to Middle East Eye and the South China Morning Post, Bernard Baudoux, the 78-year-old mayor of the French town Aulnoye-Aymeries, was violently assaulted during the incident.

Baudoux reported that the masked settlers yelled defamatory comments about France, threw him to the ground, kicked him, and hit him with iron bars.

Belgium condemned the assault on its consul general and other envoys, with the nation stating it would push for EU sanctions against those involved, according to BBC News. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot demanded that Israel arrest those responsible and halt the "criminal violence." While the South China Morning Post reported that Baudoux did not require hospital care, the BBC News noted that a vehicle from the Belgian consulate had a smashed window.

The Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli foreign ministry condemned the attack, and Israeli police promised an investigation, according to BBC News and the South China Morning Post. However, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested the incident might be part of a coordinated smear campaign, according to The Times of Israel.

Brief written by urgent.news from Toronto Sun, Middle East Eye, The Times of Israel, BBC News, South China Morning Post — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.