French mayor Bernard Baudoux beaten by Israeli settlers in West Bank olive harvest

Bernard Baudoux, Mayor of the French town of Aulnoye-Aymeries, says masked settlers attacked him in occupied West Bank.

"The Israeli authorities must arrest those responsible for these revolting acts and take them to justice. They must urgently halt this criminal violence and guarantee the safety of civilian populations, as they are compelled to do under international law,” says Mayor Bernard Baudoux

Netanyahu says 'smear' campaign targeting settlers as attack on French mayor draws condemnation Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday alleged a “smear” campaign against settlers, as the violent attack by Israeli settlers on a French mayor in the occupied West Bank drew international condemnation. “These reports come amid concerns about a coordinated campaign to smear Israel and the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria during the annual olive harvest, relying on sensational headlines before the full facts emerge,” his office said in a statement, using the Israeli term for the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu said the European diplomats should have coordinated their movements with the Israeli military, and pointed out that Bernard Baudoux, the 78-year-old mayor who was beaten by the Israeli settlers, is a communist known for supporting the Palestinian cause. The Israeli prime minister's main rival in the upcoming election, former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, accused the government of sponsoring “Jewish terrorism” and said the violence was “burning away the little legitimacy the State of Israel still possesses”. Later on Saturday, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee demanded that Israel prosecute and jail the assailants in the settler attack on Thursday against Washington Post journalist Heidi Levine, who was also brutally beaten by a group of settlers while she was covering the Israeli harassment of Palestinians harvesting olives. Heidi Levine, photojournalist for @wapo suffered serious injuries from vicious & cowardly attack. Heidi is US Citizen, clear ID as journalist. Details of who under investigation, but those who attacked unarmed reporter should spend YRS in prison. We have called for a full investigation, arrest, and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law to whoever participated in this. Attacking a female photographer is despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards. Dishonorable act of senseless violence. — Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) October 17, 2026

France demands Israel arrest settlers who attacked French mayor in West Bank French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot demanded Saturday that Israel crack down on “criminal violence” after a French mayor was attacked by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Bernard Baudoux, mayor of the northern French town of Aulnoye-Aymeries, “was violently assaulted by extremist settlers”, Barrot said on X. “The Israeli authorities must arrest those responsible for these revolting acts and take them to justice. They must urgently halt this criminal violence and guarantee the safety of civilian populations, as they are compelled to do under international law.” Baudoux, 78, was attacked while visiting the Palestinian village of Taybeh with French, Belgian and Polish diplomats, who were there as Israeli settlers tried to stop Palestinians from harvesting their olives. Masked settlers threw him to the ground, kicked him and beat him with iron bars, Baudoux said.

French mayor attacked by settlers in West Bank says Israel ‘tolerates’ settler violence The French mayor who was attacked on Saturday by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank said the incident showed that Israel tolerates settler violence. “I think that if settlers are behaving like this, there is a tolerance on the part of the Israeli government,” said Bernard Baudoux, mayor of the northern French town of Aulnoye-Aymeries, speaking to AFP after the attack during a goodwill visit to the Palestinian village of Taybeh. “The whole world needs to know what’s happening there. For me, I’ll go back to my country and everything will be fine. Those who continue to suffer the most are those who are here,” he said. Baudoux said he was visiting alongside the French consul general in Jerusalem and a priest from his home parish to sign a cooperation agreement between his town and Taybeh, a largely Christian village. He said two or three cars suddenly arrived and Israeli settlers got out, shouting incomprehensible insults about France. Baudoux, who was wearing a sash in the colours of the French flag, said the settlers threw him to the ground, kicked him and beat him with iron bars. “It’s absolutely incredible that settlers can behave like this,” Baudoux added, predicting the attack would go unpunished. “It’s the gratuitous nature of the violence that stuns me … They arrived completely enraged.” He said his parish priest helped him up and that they rushed off in car. He ultimately did not suffer serious injuries and was able to continue his visit to the town. Bernard Baudoux, mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries, who was attacked by Israeli settlers in Taybeh, poses for a photograph in Taybeh in occupied West Bank, 17 October 2026 (REUTERS/Mohammed Torokman)