World

10 Israeli Settlers Arrested After French Mayor Assaulted

Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 19, 2026•3 min read

Israeli police arrested 10 settlers over an attack on French Mayor Bernard Baudoux in the West Bank, marking the second assault in two days amid olive harvest.

Key Facts

Kepolisian Israel menangkap 10 pemukim yang diduga menyerang Wali Kota Aulnoye-Aymeries, Prancis, Bernard Baudoux (78) di Desa Taybeh, Tepi Barat, pada Sabtu (17/10/2026).
Baudoux diserang sekelompok pemukim Israel bertopeng yang melontarkan hinaan terhadap Prancis, lalu menendang dan memukulnya menggunakan batang besi saat ia mengenakan selempang bergambar bendera Prancis (tricolor); Baudoux terjatuh di sisi mobil rombongan dan menolak perawatan di rumah sakit.
Baudoux berada di Taybeh bersama rombongan diplomat Eropa — perwakilan senior Prancis dan Belgia di Yerusalem serta seorang diplomat Polandia — dalam kunjungan solidaritas panen zaitun.
Menteri Luar Negeri Prancis Jean-Noël Barrot mendesak Israel segera menghentikan kekerasan para pemukim dan menangkap para pelakunya; Menteri Luar Negeri Belgia menyampaikan desakan serupa; kepolisian Israel membuka investigasi resmi atas insiden tersebut.
Sehari sebelumnya, Jumat (16/10/2026), fotografer Amerika Serikat Heidi Levine yang bekerja untuk The Washington Post dipukuli pemukim Israel hingga menderita patah tulang belakang saat meliput panen zaitun di wilayah yang sama; Menteri Luar Negeri AS Marco Rubio menyatakan Washington "sangat terganggu" dan meminta pemerintah Israel mengambil langkah tegas.

Arrest of 10 Suspects

Taybeh — Israeli police arrested 10 settlers suspected of attacking Bernard Baudoux (78), mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries, France, in the West Bank village of Taybeh on Saturday (10/17/2026). The arrests were announced after the attack on a delegation of European diplomats participating in a solidarity olive harvest sparked international condemnation.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot had previously urged Israel to immediately stop settler violence and arrest the perpetrators. The Belgian Foreign Minister issued a similar demand for the incident to be pursued seriously. Israeli police stated that they have opened an official investigation into the matter.

Chronology of the Attack

According to Baudoux's account, a group of masked Israeli settlers intercepted the delegation in Taybeh. They hurled insults against France, then kicked and struck Baudoux with iron rods while the mayor was wearing a sash bearing the French tricolor flag. Baudoux collapsed beside the delegation's car and declined to be transported to a hospital for medical treatment.

Baudoux was in the West Bank alongside a delegation of European diplomats—senior French and Belgian representatives in Jerusalem as well as a Polish diplomat—on a solidarity olive harvest visit. He told AFP (Agence France-Presse), 'If the settlers dare to act like this, I think it means there is complicity from the Israeli government.' He added, 'The whole world needs to know what is happening.'

Second Attack in Two Days

This incident marks the second attack within two days in the same area. A day earlier, on Friday (10/16/2026), American photographer Heidi Levine, working for The Washington Post, was beaten by Israeli settlers, suffering a fractured spine while covering the olive harvest in the region.

US (United States) Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington was 'deeply troubled' by the attack on Levine and called on the Israeli government to take decisive action. This series of two incidents has intensified international scrutiny over settler violence in the West Bank, particularly against foreign nationals and media workers.

European Diplomatic Response

France strongly condemned the Taybeh incident. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot demanded that Israel immediately halt settler violence and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice. The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also urged that the case be pursued seriously.

Israeli police confirmed that an investigation has been launched and 10 suspects have been arrested. The arrests mark the latest development following mounting European diplomatic pressure over the past two days.