Israeli settlers attack European diplomats, beat French mayor

Israeli settlers attacked a convoy of European diplomats in the West Bank and beat up a visiting French mayor on Saturday (Oct 17), witnesses said, while United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned against a brewing "crisis" in the territory a day after an American photojournalist was injured in a brutal attack.



Violence is surging ahead of bitterly fought Oct 27 elections, coinciding with Palestinians' annual olive harvest which has been repeatedly disrupted by Israeli settlers as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to shore up his pro-settlement right-wing base.



On Saturday, the 78-year-old mayor said masked settlers yelled defamatory comments about France and kicked and hit him with iron bars as he joined Palestinian olive farmers in the West Bank alongside top French and Belgian representatives in Jerusalem and Polish diplomats.



The attack came just one day after settlers beat up Heidi Levine, an American photographer for The Washington Post, who was in a moderate condition on Saturday after suffering broken vertebrae.



Israel's foreign ministry condemned the attack on the diplomats and Israeli police promised to open an investigation.