Cory Booker says the attack on Levine demands a full investigation
Cory BookerU.S. senator from New Jersey
Booker says he is horrified by the attacks on Palestinian villagers and Levine and that the attack and reports that Israeli forces did not intervene demand a full investigation and accountability.
Responding to
Israeli troops in the area were trying to disperse a large and violent crowd and did not see the assault on Levine.
“Civilians and journalists should never be targets. I'm horrified by attacks on Palestinian villagers and Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine. This attack, along with reports that nearby Israeli security forces did not intervene, demands a full investigation and real accountability”
Original post
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine is beaten near Abu Falah; Netanyahu's office says the facts are unclear
Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine was beaten near the West Bank village of Abu Falah on October 16, 2026, while covering the olive harvest. She and other journalists at the scene said masked Israeli settlers attacked harvesters and reporters. The Israeli military condemned the incident and police opened an investigation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the facts remain unclear, and the Post's executive editor replied that Levine was clearly marked as press and clearly beaten.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Booker posted this as a quote post of The Washington Post's report on the attack near Abu Falah.
Reporting
About this source
The Washington Post's report on the attack near Abu Falah, as republished by the Anchorage Daily News. It includes Levine's account, witness accounts, statements from the Israeli military, police and the Prime Minister's Office, and the Post's own statement.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Booker was quote-posting The Washington Post's report that dozens of masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villagers gathering their olive harvest and beat Levine.
After the quotation
He says the many other instances of settler violence against Palestinian civilians and land in the West Bank also demand accountability, and points to the West Bank Violence Prevention Act, a bill he introduced.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the October 16, 2026 beating of Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine near Abu Falah, which she and other witnesses attributed to masked Israeli settlers. Booker says he is horrified by the attack and calls for accountability, which condemns it.
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More from this case
Read the full caseMatt Murray replies to Netanyahu's office that Levine was clearly beaten
“To be clear: Some facts are neither in dispute nor unclear. Our photographer was clearly marked as Press. She was clearly beaten. These are not partisan or risible statements, but indisputable. We urge a thorough investigation and accountability.”Read statement
Netanyahu's office says the facts of the Abu Falah confrontation remain unclear
Prime Minister’s Office of Israel
“The facts surrounding the confrontation near Abu Falah, during which Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was allegedly assaulted, remain unclear and are under investigation.”Read statement
Committee to Protect Journalists calls Levine's beating part of a pattern
Committee to Protect Journalists
“The brutal beating of Heidi Levine is neither isolated nor the first on a journalist covering the olive harvest in the West Bank. It’s part of a disturbing pattern of violence and harassment against journalists regardless of their nationalities”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Cory Booker says the attack on Levine demands a full investigation". First published: 2026-10-20. Last updated: 2026-10-20. https://disputeindex.com/events/6135-booker-says-he-is-horrified-by-the-attacks