Masked settlers attacked an olive harvest. Israeli police named the subsequent arrest operation “Olive Leaf.” Even the crackdown borrows from the crop.
On Oct. 19, police detained 10 suspects after weekend attacks on Palestinians, European diplomats and Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine. The operation also targeted suspected illegal construction and violations of closed military zones. Police have not specified each detainee’s alleged role.
Levine suffered broken vertebrae and a broken rib. She needed surgery on a severely injured finger. She had been wearing a vest marked “PRESS.”
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee welcomed the arrests as a “very positive development.” They followed international pressure over the attacks on an American journalist and European representatives.
Palestinian reports described fresh attacks on olive pickers, including arson near Turmus Ayya. Arrests and further violence were making the same day’s news.
The next test is whether Palestinian farmers get protection when no foreign diplomat or American photographer is there to turn their attackers into an international problem.
#WestBank #SettlerViolence #OliveHarvest #Accountability
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