TEL AVIV, Israel, October 17 (ANI) — Following a report by The Washington Post that photojournalist Heidi Levine was assaulted, allegedly by masked Israeli settlers, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the facts surrounding the incident “remain unclear” and are under investigation.
In a statement Friday, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office condemned the attack but said masked individuals on both sides, Jewish and Arab, had been seen throwing objects.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office stated on X, “The facts surrounding the confrontation near Abu Falah, during which Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was allegedly assaulted, remain unclear and are under investigation. Israel unequivocally condemns violence against anyone—Jews, Arabs, Christians or journalists. Those responsible will be held accountable.”
“But serious questions remain. 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,” the statement read.
Netanyahu said Israel would “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.”
Earlier, The Washington Post reported that Levine was knocked down and kicked near Abu Falah before being taken to hospitals in Ramallah and Israel.
According to the report, she suffered a broken rib and four broken vertebrae. She is also expected to undergo surgery after one of her fingers was severely injured, exposing the bone.
“They just kept kicking me and kicking me, like probably 50 times,” Levine told reporters, according to The Washington Post.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing. (ANI)
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