Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine has described how Palestinian youths helped her after Israeli settlers attacked her while she was covering the olive harvest in Abu Falah, in the occupied West Bank.
The assault took place on 16 October as Palestinians and journalists were documenting the harvest. Levine suffered serious injuries, including fractured vertebrae, and required medical treatment. The attack was part of a wider assault on people gathered in the area, including Palestinian farmers.
Local residents came to her aid
Levine recounted that Palestinian youths helped protect and assist her after the attack. Their actions stood in contrast to the danger faced by Palestinian residents who continue to work their land during the harvest season.
The assault drew attention from press freedom organisations and officials, who called for an investigation. Settler attacks during the olive harvest have repeatedly threatened farmers’ access to groves and damaged crops. For Palestinian families, the harvest is both a source of income and a connection to their land.
Levine’s account brings attention to the people who helped her and to the broader risks facing journalists and Palestinian farmers reporting and working in the West Bank.
