Harsh condemnations - and claims of provocation: the storm after the attack on the photographer

The attack on Washington Post photographer Heidi Levin during clashes in Abu Falaj sparks a storm: Lapid and Eisenkot condemned, while the Prime Minister's Office and the Binyamin Council claim provocation and unclear circumstances.

The attack on Washington Post photographer Heidi Levin during clashes in Abu Falaj in the Binyamin region continues to stir political turmoil in Israel and the US. Levin, 64, was evacuated for medical treatment after she said she was attacked by masked youths she called "Jewish terrorists." Opposition leader Yair Lapid attacked the government, claiming that "the attacks of Jewish terror... are the policy of the government." Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot condemned "the violent lawbreakers" and called on the police to take harsh measures. The American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the organization Democratic Majority for Israel joined the condemnations. Conversely, the Prime Minister's Office stated that the circumstances of the incident are being investigated and noted reports of about 200 Arabs and far-left activists who clashed with about 40 young Israelis. The Binyamin Regional Council claimed it was a "planned provocation" and that Palestinians and left-wing activists threw stones and fired flares at Israelis. Washington Post editor Matt Murray responded that the photographer was clearly marked as a journalist and was clearly beaten, and that these are indisputable facts.