Full Breakdown
Attack on French Mayor Bernard Baudoux and Israel’s Official Response
By Drooid · · How we work
The Assault in Taybeh
Hours after a delegation of European diplomats, French clerics and Mayor Bernard Baudoux arrived in the Palestinian town of Taybeh to harvest olives, masked Israeli settlers attacked the group. Video captured the mayor, wearing his official sash, being shoved to the ground while an attacker shouted “France, France.” The assault targeted the diplomatic vehicle, breaking a reinforced rear window and injuring the mayor. Metadata from the footage indicates a 22-second interval between the last shot of the mayor confronting his assailants and the subsequent clip of him lying on the ground. Security personnel later helped him back into the vehicle as the attack continued.
Netanyahu’s Office Statement
The prime minister’s office issued a social-media post titled “Serious accusations require serious evidence,” questioning the delegation’s account. It called on journalists and the public to demand verifiable evidence and reject “unproven allegations” that could lead to a collective indictment of Jewish residents of the occupied West Bank.
On-the-Ground Reporting
The Guardian’s reporters documented the moments before the attack, noting that the settlers appeared intent not only to force the foreigners to leave but also to extract a price for joining Palestinians on their land. Footage from a hillside showed the settlers striking the SUV as it pulled away, shattering a window that could have caused further injuries had it broken near the passengers.
Diplomatic Protest in Jerusalem
The following day, more than a dozen senior former Israeli diplomats—including two former directors-general and a deputy director-general—assembled outside the foreign ministry. They displayed banners demanding action against what they described as a “campaign of terror” by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, directly addressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.
Wider Implications
The incident highlights heightened tensions between Israeli settler groups and international delegations operating in the occupied territories. The prime minister’s dismissal of the attack’s details, coupled with a visible protest by former diplomats, underscores a growing rift within Israel’s political and diplomatic circles over accountability for settler violence.