US ambassador condemns masked settlers' beating of Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine in Israel

Summary

Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine, 63, an award-winning journalist who lives in Israel, was attacked last Friday by masked Israeli settlers who used clubs and other weapons while she was covering Palestinians harvesting olives. She said she was beaten for more than 10 minutes and is in hospital recovering from hand surgery, broken ribs and other injuries, and that her flak jacket and helmet protected her. US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee denounced the attack as a "despicable act of terror". Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he condemned "violence against anyone" but called the attack "alleged" and said its circumstances remained unclear, a response Levine said left her "shocked and insulted".

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   19 Oct 2026, 11:23 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that US ambassador Mike Huckabee denounced the settler attack on Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine as a "despicable act of terror", while Netanyahu called the attack "alleged" and said its circumstances remained unclear.