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Van Calster describes threats against diplomats in the West Bank
Van Calster, Belgium’s consul general in Jerusalem, said Belgian, French and Polish diplomats accompanying Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest faced threats from masked individuals in the West Bank. Van Calster said Israeli activists who were attacked had received death threats and that the diplomats left the area in vehicles.
Van Calster, Belgium’s consul general in Jerusalem, said a diplomatic delegation accompanying Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest was threatened in the West Bank. He said the delegation included Belgian, French and Polish diplomats.
Van Calster said the diplomats’ presence in the area was intended to deter violence and that the delegation did not want to provoke a confrontation. He said the practice, described as a “protective presence,” aims to provide security by accompanying Palestinian farmers.
Van Calster said the diplomats got into their vehicles after noticing masked individuals approaching them. He said the group was masked in a way that left only their eyes visible. The delegation later returned to the village by vehicle.
Van Calster said they encountered Israeli activists who said they had been attacked by the same group after reaching the village. He said the activists told them they had been told, “We will kill you.”
Describing the threat against the diplomats as “a new escalation,” Van Calster said the incidents since the start of the olive harvest had already exceeded those recorded during the entirety of last year’s harvest season.
Van Calster also rejected a statement by the Israeli army that diplomats must coordinate their visits before traveling to the area. He argued that the Oslo Accords do not require such prior coordination and said the authorities were aware of the delegation’s presence in the area and of the threat that had continued for hours.
Van Calster said the diplomats could not be held responsible for the incident. “Our peaceful presence is intended to show how dramatic the situation there really is,” he said.
Diplomats’ vehicles targeted in Taybeh
On October 17, a masked group blocked the vehicles of French, Belgian and Polish diplomats traveling to the olive harvest in the West Bank town of Taybeh. The windows of the vehicle carrying a Belgian diplomat were reported to have been smashed in the attack.
Located northeast of Ramallah, Taybeh is known as the only settlement in the area whose population is predominantly Palestinian Christian.
Palestinians harvesting olives in the West Bank and journalists working in the area are also frequently targeted in attacks. Photojournalist Heidi Levine was reportedly beaten and injured on October 16 while covering the olive harvest in the village of Abu Falah.
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