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US Secretary Rubio Urges Israel to Crack Down on Settler Violence
· Confirmed
In Short: RTE.ie reported that Rubio urged Israel to do more to deter attacks committed by settlers, while Al Jazeera noted that Rubio asked the Israelis to crack down on settler violence after an attack on a Washington Post photojournalist.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for Israel to take stronger action against settler violence in the West Bank, according to reports from RTE.ie (Ireland) and Al Jazeera (Qatar).
RTE.ie reported that Rubio urged Israel to do more to deter attacks committed by settlers, while Al Jazeera noted that Rubio asked the Israelis to crack down on settler violence after an attack on a Washington Post photojournalist.
Both publications reported that Rubio made these comments after video showing settlers attacking photojournalist Shelly Levine was widely disseminated. Levine was covering Palestinians’ annual olive harvest when she was attacked by Israeli settlers.
RTE.ie did not identify the culprits as settlers, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to sow doubt as to their identity. In contrast, Al Jazeera reported that Israeli settlers have been involved in at least 170 pogroms against Palestinians since September 27.
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, a staunch ally of Israel, demanded that Israel prosecute and jail the assailants in the attack against Levine, according to RTE.ie.
Rubio said the US State Department had inquired about the attack on Levine and expected to hear back from the US embassy in Jerusalem by Sunday, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Rubio added that the US administration would communicate its expectations to the Israelis to prevent such incidents from happening in the future, according to Al Jazeera.
Levine described the attack, saying, “They were kicking me for like 10 minutes, and I was trying to hold onto my cameras and my bag,” as reported by Al Jazeera.
Independent journalist Jasper Nathaniel, who witnessed the attack, told Al Jazeera that Levine “was in very, very bad shape. She couldn’t really get up off the ground.”
Rubio said, “Attacking a female photographer is a despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards,” as reported by Al Jazeera.
The Timesofisrael (Israel) reported that Israeli forces tried to coordinate the return of a family to their home overnight but were blocked by more than 100 Israeli rioters who were setting tires on fire and throwing stones at security forces.
Both RTE.ie and Al Jazeera agree that Rubio has called for Israel to take stronger action against settler violence in the West Bank, and that the US State Department is urging Israel to investigate and prosecute the attackers.
What this adds
The reports from RTE.ie and Al Jazeera highlight the ongoing tensions between the US and Israel regarding settler violence in the West Bank, with both publications emphasizing the need for Israel to take stronger action.
The sources have not established the full extent of the Israeli government's response to Rubio's demands or the specific measures they plan to implement to address settler violence.
Background
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for Israel to take stronger action against settler violence in the West Bank.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Israeli President Isaac Herzog that Israel should stop and reverse its 'forced establishment' of West Bank settlements.
The West Bank is the larger of the two Palestinian territories that make up Palestine. A landlocked territory located on the western bank of the Jordan River near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in West Asia's Levant region, it is bordered by Jordan and the Dead Sea to the east, and by Israel to the south, west, and north.
What's confirmed
- The United States wants Israel to do more to deter attacks committed by settlers in the West Bank, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.
What's still developing
- “Those who attacked unarmed reporter should spend YRS in prison,” he added.
- “We don’t need that right now; Israel doesn’t need that right now,” he added.
- Israeli settlers stormed the area, beat her and stole her passport, telephone, wallet and equipment, according to witnesses.
- “We’re all of the same opinion that the city needs to step in and help with these unlicensed operators,” said Brad Manske, the CEO of ViewHouse at 2015 Market Street.
- “They made it into such a big thing that nothing happens, as Denver likes to do,” said Ballpark resident Stevenson Farnsworth, who is treasurer for Ballpark’s General Improvement District.
- “So it’s an expectation that they should be regulating these businesses that don’t have licenses.” Businesses and neighbors are disappointed with the city’s muted response to the carts, which occasionally explode.
- The food they serve is often stored unrefrigerated before being prepared.
- Carts are sometimes manned by children who solicit people to pay $10 a dog when clubs close at 2 a.m.
- By 11 p.m., there were upwards of 30 carts along Blake, Market and Larimer streets, most cooking peppers, onions and bacon-wrapped hot dogs on butane-heated trays.
- “We’re very disturbed by those images and what we’re seeing,” he told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
Sources
- Reuterslink
- RTE.ielink
- The Denver Postlink
- Al Jazeeralink
- Timesofisraellink
- WarpBeat — background on US Secretary Rubio Urges Israel to Crack Down on Settler Violence link
- WarpBeat — background on China Urges Israel to Halt West Bank Settlements link
- Wikipedia — background on West Bank link
- DawnNews English — video link