SENIOR US DIPLOMATS VISIT PALESTINIAN CHRISTIAN TOWN AFTER ATTACKS ON EUROPEAN OFFICIALS AND AMERICAN JOURNALIST
Senior U.S. diplomats have visited the Palestinian Christian town of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank following attacks involving European diplomats, Palestinian civilians and American photojournalist Heidi Levine. Riley Barnes, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labour, and Brian Burch, the American ambassador to the Holy See, visited the Latin Convent church and were expected to meet local Christian representatives. The visit follows Saturday’s attack involving Belgian, French and Polish diplomats and a French mayor, as well as Friday’s assault on Levine near Abu Falah. Reuters also witnessed a separate confrontation near Salfit on Sunday in which masked settlers threw stones towards Palestinian olive harvesters and activists. No arrests connected to the two earlier high-profile attacks had been announced at the time of publication.