US ambassador demands Israel jail settlers who attacked journalist

United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has demanded that Israeli authorities prosecute and imprison those responsible for the violent attack on American photojournalist Heidi Levine in the occupied West Bank. The diplomatic demand follows a brutal assault on the Washington Post journalist by masked individuals while she was covering the annual olive harvest near Ramallah on Friday.

Huckabee described the incident as a despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards against an unarmed reporter. He stated on social media that the perpetrators should spend years in prison. The ambassador called for a full investigation, arrest, and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law for everyone who participated in the violence.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio separately urged Israel to crack down on settler violence following the dissemination of video footage showing the attack. Rubio told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland that the administration was very disturbed by the images. He noted that the State Department had inquired about the incident and expected a response from the US embassy in Jerusalem.

The Trump-appointed secretary emphasized that Washington would communicate its expectations to Israeli officials to prevent such events from happening in the future. Rubio stated that neither the United States nor Israel needed this type of violence at the current time. His comments came as the administration sought to address growing concerns over safety for Americans in the region.

Witnesses reported that Israeli settlers stormed the area in Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah, and beat Levine along with several Palestinians. The attackers were armed with bottles and slingshots during the confrontation. Levine stated that the assailants kicked her for approximately ten minutes while she attempted to protect her cameras and bag from being stolen or destroyed.

Jasper Nathaniel, an independent journalist who witnessed the assault, said Levine was in very bad shape and could not get up off the ground. The sixty-four-year-old photographer was taken to a hospital where she underwent surgery on a finger that was nearly detached from her hand. Her daughter confirmed she also suffered a broken rib, multiple broken vertebrae, and lacerations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Palestinians or far-left activists might have been responsible for the attack, despite evidence pointing to settlers. This statement appears aimed at shoring up his pro-settlement right-wing base ahead of the October 27 elections. Meanwhile, the State Department expressed great concern over the harm caused to an American citizen overseas.