US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged Israel to crack down on settler violence in the occupied West Bank after American photojournalist Heidi Levine was attacked by Israeli settlers on Friday.
Rubio said the Trump administration was “very disturbed” by images of the attack on Levine, a photojournalist with The Washington Post.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Rubio said he had not yet received an official briefing on Friday’s incident. However, he said the images he had seen “didn’t look good”.
Rubio called on Israel to take action against the violence, saying that US President Donald Trump did not want to see “friction” or “a crisis” in the occupied West Bank.
He added that the Trump administration would communicate its expectations to Israeli officials to help prevent similar incidents in the future.
“We don’t need that right now; Israel doesn’t need that right now,” Rubio said.
Levine was among two people wounded in an attack by Israeli settlers near Abu Falah in the occupied West Bank on Friday.
Speaking to reporters after the incident, Levine said she believed she might not have survived the attack had she not been wearing a flak jacket and helmet.
She said the protective equipment had helped shield her as the attackers continued to kick her.
Levine recalled the assault, saying she “probably wouldn’t even be here” without the protective gear, “because they just kept kicking me and kicking me”.
Rubio’s remarks came as the Trump administration expressed concern over the attack and signalled that it would press Israel to take steps to prevent similar violence in the occupied West Bank.
