Washington has criticized settler attacks despite the US president\u2019s endorsement of the Israeli PM and reported tensions between the two leaders<\/p>\n
Washington has urged Israel to \u201ccrack down\u201d on extremist settler violence following a brutal attack on an American journalist in the occupied West Bank, even as President Donald Trump has given Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu his \u201cComplete and Total Endorsement\u201d ahead of Israel\u2019s October 27 elections.
\nThe conflicting messages come amid reported tensions between Trump and Netanyahu over Israeli military operations in Lebanon, Gaza, and Iran. Nevertheless, the US president praised Netanyahu as a \u201cGreat Warrior Prime Minister\u201d in a Truth Social post on Sunday, prompting the Israeli leader to thank him for his \u201ctremendous support and the joint work.\u201d
\nA day earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the attack on American photojournalist Heidi Levine when questioned by reporters in Maryland.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re very disturbed by those images and what we\u2019re seeing. We\u2019ve asked the Israelis, and continue to ask them, to crack down on that stuff,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Trump does not want to see \u201ca crisis going on in the West Bank,\u201d Rubio added. \u201cThe whole thing was just disturbing, not a good look.\u201d
\nUS Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also condemned the assault.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Israeli settlers beat up and rob WaPo journalist in West Bank (VIDEOS)<\/p>\n
\u201cAttacking a female photographer is despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards. Dishonorable act of senseless violence,\u201d he wrote on X, calling for an investigation, arrests, and prosecution of the perpetrators.
\nLevine was attacked near the West Bank village of Abu Falah on Friday while covering the local Palestinian olive harvest, which has faced recurring settler violence. According to the Washington Post, Israeli settlers knocked down the veteran photographer, who was wearing a protective vest marked \u2018PRESS\u2019, stole her equipment, and repeatedly kicked her, breaking four vertebrae and a rib. Israeli soldiers were reportedly present but did not intervene.
\nOn Saturday, masked Israeli settlers also attacked a convoy carrying European diplomats near Taybeh, a predominantly Christian Palestinian village in the West Bank.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
WATCH Israeli settlers attack European diplomats in West Bank<\/p>\n
The incidents came amid a surge in settler violence. UN officials said Friday that attacks had reached their highest level since 2006, with more than 1,600 incidents recorded between January and August.
\nIsrael has also expanded settlement construction, approving nearly 11,000 new housing units in the West Bank this year, according to Israeli watchdog Peace Now.
\nThe expansion has been championed by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and backed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, both key members of Netanyahu\u2019s governing coalition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Washington has criticized settler attacks despite the US president\u2019s endorsement of the Israeli PM and reported tensions between the two leaders Washington has urged Israel to \u201ccrack down\u201d on extremist…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40091,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t