Listen again · In Conversation
Who Protects Civilians and Diplomats in the West Bank? October 18, 2026 · 9:51 · With Maya, Daniel, and Omar
Daniel covers world affairs, conflicts and elections. Omar covers the economy and work. We use clear English to help make sense of the world.
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Maya Welcome to Slow English FM. This is our round table, where we look at one story from more than one angle. I’m Maya. Daniel covers world affairs, conflicts and elections. Omar covers the economy and work. We use clear English to help make sense of the world. Our question is: who is responsible for protecting people in the West Bank, and what can outside pressure achieve? Maya The question follows two attacks in the West Bank. On October 16, American photojournalist Heidi Levine was beaten while covering the olive harvest near Abu Falah. The next day, witnesses said masked Israeli settlers attacked a convoy of European diplomats and assaulted Bernard Baudoux, a visiting French mayor who was with Palestinian olive farmers. Daniel, what do these incidents bring into focus? Daniel They bring two issues together: immediate safety and the duty to enforce the law. The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that Levine said the attackers pushed her down and kicked her for about ten minutes. She said she had identified herself as an American journalist. A report on the attack said she suffered serious injuries, including broken vertebrae. Then, a day later, European officials and a French mayor were attacked in a separate incident. The people involved were not all affected in the same way, but both events raise a basic question: can people carry out ordinary work or public duties without being attacked? Maya And what does the law say about protection in the West Bank? Daniel The International Committee of the Red Cross, or ICRC, says Israel is the occupying power in the West Bank and has a duty to protect Palestinians from violence, including violence by settlers. The ICRC says occupation law applies when foreign forces are present without consent, can exercise authority instead of the local government, and that government cannot exercise its authority. The ICRC says Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. It says the duty includes protecting civilians and maintaining public order. It also says crimes against Palestinians must be punished. That is the ICRC’s legal position, and it gives us a framework for asking whether authorities are meeting their responsibilities. Omar The ICRC’s concern is not limited to the moment of an attack. It has also reported that violence and movement restrictions can keep people from medical care, schools, homes and work. That matters because safety supports everyday life. If a person cannot reach a clinic or a job, the harm extends beyond the original violence. The same is true for families and communities whose daily movement is restricted. So the question is not only whether an attacker is arrested. It is also whether people can continue their ordinary lives safely. Maya Omar, you’re connecting the violence to people’s ability to work and get essential services. Daniel, does that fit with the ICRC’s account of the authorities’ duty? Daniel Yes. The ICRC says authorities have a responsibility to protect the population from violence, including violence by settlers. That makes prevention and accountability important parts of the discussion. In the diplomat attack, Israel’s foreign ministry condemned the violence, and Israeli police said they would open an investigation. Those are reported official responses. They do not tell us what the investigation found, but they show what Israel’s authorities said they would do. France’s foreign minister called on Israel to halt the violence and arrest those responsible for attacking Baudoux. Belgium’s foreign minister made a similar call. Omar There is also a wider effect on people who depend on local work and movement. The ICRC says restrictions can cut people off from livelihoods, meaning the ways they earn a living. That is a clear connection between security and the economy: people need to be able to reach work and keep their daily lives going. The evidence here does not provide a measure of lost income, so I would not put a number on the cost. But the ICRC’s description makes clear that restrictions can affect work as well as health care and education. Maya The attack on the diplomats also brought a response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. What did he say, Daniel? Daniel Netanyahu said the diplomats should have coordinated their movements in advance with the Israeli military. He also described accounts of the attacks as a smear campaign against settlers. Those are his stated positions. They sit alongside the police statement that an investigation would be opened, and alongside the Israeli foreign ministry’s condemnation of the attack. It matters to keep those responses distinct: one is a promise to investigate, one is a demand about coordination, and one is a political accusation. They are not the same as a finding about who was responsible or what happened in the investigation. Maya How are other governments trying to influence Israel’s response? Daniel The United States has called for action after Levine was attacked. Ambassador Mike Huckabee called for an investigation, arrests and prosecution of those responsible. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States had asked Israel to crack down on settler attacks. France and Belgium have called for those responsible for the attack on Baudoux to be arrested. Belgium’s foreign minister has also said his country will keep pushing for European Union sanctions on violent settlers. Sanctions are restrictions imposed to put pressure on people or groups. Here, they are a stated policy aim, not an action that the evidence says has already happened. Omar That distinction matters. A call for sanctions is not the same as sanctions being introduced, and the evidence does not say what effect they would have. But the call shows one way a government can try to create pressure: make a policy decision that could affect the people or groups targeted. The other approach is diplomatic pressure, through public demands for arrests and prosecutions. Both approaches depend on decisions by governments. The immediate test is still practical: whether authorities act to protect people and whether those responsible for violence are held accountable. Maya Daniel, the attacks happened close together. Does that change how governments view the issue? Daniel It has drawn attention to both the safety of journalists and the safety of foreign officials. Rubio warned that the West Bank faced a brewing crisis after the attack on Levine. The attack on the diplomats followed the next day, and European officials made their own demands. In my reading, that sequence helps explain why the issue has become a matter of international pressure as well as local security. But outside statements do not replace the responsibility of authorities on the ground to protect people and enforce the law. Maya Omar, what should listeners watch for when judging whether that pressure has made a difference? Omar I would look at whether people can reach work, health care and schools, and whether communities can use their homes and local routes safely. Those are the kinds of effects the ICRC has described. I would also separate a promise from an outcome. Police said they would open an investigation into the diplomat attack; that is a stated next step, not a result. Likewise, Belgium has said it will push for European Union sanctions; that is a plan, not a measure already in force. Clear distinctions help us see what has happened and what remains a policy goal. Maya Daniel has explained the legal duty described by the ICRC and the demands from Israel’s partners. Omar has shown how violence and restrictions can reach into work and daily services, and why promises must be judged by their results. The central question remains whether people in the West Bank can live and work safely, and whether those responsible for violence face accountability. Thanks for listening to Slow English FM.
