Settlers Attack Photographer While The World Watches
Palestinian photographer Rabi’ Ashtiyeh was reportedly attacked by Israeli settlers while documenting the olive harvest near Beita village. The New Arab notes he was covering the work of peace activists. This, of course, is framed as a singular event, rather than the predictable outcome of unchecked settlement expansion, which the United Nations has repeatedly condemned as illegal under
international law. In 2023 alone, settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank surged by 40% from the previous year, according to OCHA. While policymakers in Washington wring their hands over 'de-escalation,' the ground reality, funded in part by billions in U.S. aid, is a systematic erosion of Palestinian life. One might wonder: how many photographers need to be beaten, how many olive trees
uprooted, before it stops being 'conflict' and starts being what it actually is?