U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned what he called a “vicious” and “cowardly” Israeli settler attack on Palestinian villagers that led to a Washington Post photographer suffering serious injuries despite having press credentials in clear view.
The attack unfolded on Friday as a group of Palestinians was collecting an olive harvest near Abu Falah. Heidi Levine, a veteran photographer for the Washington Post, was among the group attacked and suffered lacerations across her body, a broken rib, and four broken vertebrae.
“Heidi Levine, photojournalist for @wapo suffered serious injuries from vicious & cowardly attack,” Huckabee said Saturday. “Heidi is US Citizen, clear ID as journalist. Details of who under investigation, but those who attacked unarmed reporter should spend YRS in prison.”
“We have called for a full investigation, arrest, and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law to whoever participated in this,” he added. “Attacking a female photographer is despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards. Dishonorable act of senseless violence.”
Video of the incident shows Levine on the ground as masked individuals kick her and rip away her cameras. When other journalists make their way to Levine, she can be heard saying, “Oh my God. They took all of my stuff.” Levine and the other journalists then begin to flee as the attackers return, and she can be heard saying she can’t run due to her injuries.
At the time of the incident, Levine was wearing gear clearly labeled “PRESS,” but Israeli settlers in the West Bank have attacked journalists alongside Palestinians before. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 23 Palestinian and international journalists were injured by Israeli settlers in 2025, many of whom had credentials on clear display at the time of the attacks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the incident is under investigation and condemned attacks on journalists.
“The facts surrounding the confrontation near Abu Falah, during which Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was allegedly assaulted, remain unclear and are under investigation,” Netanyahu said. “Israel unequivocally condemns violence against anyone—Jews, Arabs, Christians or journalists. Those responsible will be held accountable.”
However, Netanyahu emphasized the importance of a thorough investigation and alleged there are varying accounts of the attack on Levine, noting media coverage of the incident.
“But serious questions remain,” he said. “Reports indicate some 200 Arabs and far-left activists confronted approximately 40 Israeli youths. Footage shows masked individuals on both sides hurling objects, amid reports of fireworks fired at Jewish youths. Other footage appears to show Levine knocked down and immediately helped to her feet by the same unidentified individual.”
“The investigation must establish the facts, including who initiated the violence,” he added. “We will not allow disputed incidents to be exploited to demonize the hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria. The facts must determine the conclusions. Not the headlines.”
MIKE HUCKABEE AGAIN CONDEMNS VIOLENT ISRAELI SETTLERS AS ‘TERRORISTS’ IN WEST BANK VISIT
Huckabee has long been critical of Israeli settler attacks in the West Bank, describing the violence as acts of “terror.” He has compared some settler camps to “squatters,” which has drawn backlash, including an Israeli attack on a mosque. The settlers set fire to the building and spray-painted a message on a wall reading “Huckabee regards from the terrorists” in Hebrew.
Settler violence in the West Bank has surged since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. According to the United Nations, settler attacks against Palestinians exceeded 1,800 incidents in 2025. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 2023, according to Palestinian health authorities, a figure that includes those killed by Israeli settlers, while dozens of Israelis have also been killed.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
