The Foreign Press Association is appalled by recent attacks by Israeli settlers against journalists while reporting in the occupied West Bank and calls on Israeli authorities to halt this violence immediately.

Journalists, both local and foreign, have proven to be a clear target as they document an unprecedented level of unchecked violence against Palestinians during this year’s olive harvest.

On Saturday, Nov. 8, two Reuters employees wearing clearly marked press vests and helmets were assaulted by masked Israeli civilians armed with clubs and rocks, close to the Palestinian village of Beita. A mob of dozens of settlers beat one of the employees, a female reporter, while she was already on the ground, resulting in severe injuries. They also attacked those who tried to help her. A Reuters security person was hit, and two Palestinian free-lance journalists were injured while being chased.

On Saturday, Oct. 10, a veteran AFP photographer was filming the olive harvest in the same area when Israeli settlers violently beat him with sticks. They pelted his car with stones and then set it on fire. The photographer, who testified it was one of the worst attacks in his 30-year career, reported that Israeli forces at the scene refused to intervene, instead firing rubber bullets and tear gas at olive pickers and activists accompanying them.

These are but two examples of similar incidents that have taken place in the last few weeks.

It is the responsibility of Israeli soldiers and police to protect civilians, including journalists. Instead, Israeli forces routinely harass and intimidate journalists, in some cases detaining them and threatening them with deportation. This is all part of a deepening climate of hostility toward the media by Israeli authorities.

We call on the authorities to investigate these incidents and hold those responsible accountable. In particular, we urge Central Command head Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth and police commander Moshe Pinchi to uphold their duties to ensure that journalists can work freely and safely. There cannot be press freedom in an environment in which journalists are threatened and harmed with complete impunity.

Statement attributed to the board of The Foreign Press Association