Israeli Far-right Activists Disrupt EU Delegation's Visit to West Bank
The activists, who harassed diplomats on a tour organized by the rights group B'Tselem, were later arrested by the Palestinian Authority security forces and transferred to Israel
Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff (C), head of the EU's mission to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, during a visit with a diplomatic delegation to the village of Turmus Ayya near Ramallah in June.Credit: AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP
Activists from the Israeli far-right Im Tirtzu organization disturbed on Wednesday a delegation of foreign diplomats visiting Palestinian communities near Ramallah in the West Bank.
The tour was organized by the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem.
The far-right activists harassed the diplomats and followed the group on its visit to a Palestinian village in Area B of the West Bank – a territory under Palestinian civil control but joint security control with Israel. The activists were later arrested by the Palestinian Authority security forces and transferred to Israel.
According to B'Tselem, one of the activists even waved his gun in front of the Palestinian forces.
A European diplomatic source told Haaretz that the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrel talked with Israel's foreign minister Eli Cohen about the incident on Wednesday night.
- Let Im Tirtzu defend itself before an Arab judge
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The European Union Delegation to the Palestinians took to X, formerly known as Twitter, writing that the diplomats were violently harassed by Israeli settlers. "We reiterate our concern over the growing problem of settler violence and call on Israel's authorities to take action against violent settlers," they wrote.
The tour went through several Palestinian villages that were deserted during the last year due to settler violence. After several right-wing activists disrupted the diplomats' visit, the delegation attempted to avoid them by entering Taibeh, a West Bank village northeast of Ramallah in Area B.
One of the foreign diplomats told Haaretz that the Israeli authorities knew about the visit beforehand. "When things started to escalate, we contacted the Israeli army and asked for security, but nothing happened and no one came. The diplomats are furious about what happened and are considering voicing their protest."
"What happened was unprecedented," a diplomatic source told Haaretz. "Foreign diplomats have joined tours by B'Tselem and other organizations many times in the past and there has never been such violent and aggressive behavior. They harassed the delegation, some of them were armed, and they followed the group into Area B."
According to B'Tselem, the foreign delegation has also attempted to contact the police, but they did not respond.
The Im Tirtzu organization also took to X, writing that when its activists entered Taibeh, they were shot at by Palestinian assailants who carried Kalashnikovs. "All this happened while we were attempting to expose a politically subverting tour of the far-left organization B'Tselem who led a delegation of foreign diplomats. No terrorist and no terrorist activity will deter us from revealing the truth," they wrote.
A security source told Haaretz that the army received reports according to which the Palestinian Authority security forces shot in the air after two settlers' vehicles entered the village. The source added that one of the settlers was detained by the Palestinian Authority security forces and transferred to the Israeli army.