Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine, who was brutally beaten by Jewish rioters near Ramallah on Friday, remains hospitalized at Beilinson Hospital in central Israel. The hospital said Saturday that her condition was moderate, that she had sustained injuries to her limbs and that she had undergone surgery earlier in the day. One of her fingers was nearly severed in the assault.
President Isaac Herzog said he had spoken with Levine and personally apologized for the attack. "As president of the State of Israel, I strongly condemn this outrageous and shocking phenomenon of violence, both the horrific attack you suffered and other serious incidents, such as what happened today in Taybeh," Herzog said. "I was morally tormented throughout Shabbat thinking about it, and I express deep sorrow and apologize for what you endured. The despicable conduct of these criminals does not represent the citizens or values of the State of Israel."
"Israel is a democratic state governed by the rule of law, and it must act with an iron fist against every form of violence," Herzog continued. "I know the circumstances of each incident are being thoroughly investigated, and we expect to see the findings. Every government, security and law enforcement agency must use all available means to investigate, identify the lawbreakers and bring them to justice. We all embrace you and your family, and on behalf of the entire nation, I wish you good health and a speedy recovery."
Levine's son, Michael Milner, told Ynet that his mother was suffering considerable pain following the assault. "She's in terrible pain because she was beaten so badly. Even though she was wearing a bulletproof vest and helmet, she still suffered injuries all over her body, and she's hurting," he said.
Milner said his mother underwent surgery on her hand after one of her fingers was severely injured. "They practically scraped away a significant part of her finger. The finger was cut, the skin was torn off and its function was affected. Fortunately, it was her left hand and she's right-handed, but she obviously won't be able to work for the next few weeks. She flew here from Ukraine, where she had been covering the war, to cover the elections, and now she won't be able to."
The family is still struggling to come to terms with what happened. "I'm simply shocked that something like this can happen in the State of Israel and that people who riot and behave with such horrific violence aren't held accountable," Milner said. "Even if we don't agree with the presence of the Palestinian people, it's still not acceptable to burn trees, shoot at civilians or throw stones at people, including elderly people."
Milner also sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's response to the assault. Netanyahu's office described the attack as alleged and said the circumstances remained unclear and under investigation, while condemning violence against civilians and journalists.
"I'm shocked by the prime minister's statement describing the attack as 'alleged' when there are all these videos and photographs showing the horrific assault on my mother," Milner said. "I can find plenty of evidence on Instagram for the prime minister if he doubts that the attack really happened."
Milner said he was particularly offended by Netanyahu's reference to footage showing a young man lifting Levine from the ground. "I asked her about it, and she told me he lifted her up so he could steal more things from her. Then he threw her back onto the ground and they kicked her," he said. "My mother has puncture wounds on her back. They stitched up wounds all over her body today, and she's covered in bruises. The only reason her face doesn't look terrible is that she instinctively protected it by keeping it toward the ground."
According to Milner, his mother clearly saw that some of the attackers were wearing tzitzit, the ritual fringes worn by observant Jewish men. "She says she clearly saw who they were. She screamed and begged them to stop, but they wouldn't," he said. "Even after someone managed to run toward her, one of her colleagues who helped her off the ground, you can still see in the video how they continued throwing stones and attacking my mother."
Milner, who has lived in Poland in recent years, had already planned to visit Israel next week to vote in the upcoming election, but brought forward his arrival after the attack. "I'll stay and make sure my vote is among those cast here in the election," he said. He is now at his mother's bedside in the hospital. "Now I'll have to take care of her. She can't even move."
He said no one from the government had contacted his mother following the assault. "My father, Moshe Milner, was once a prime minister's photographer, going back to the days of Golda Meir, including for Bibi," he said. "I'm personally offended. After four decades of my mother working as a pool photographer for the foreign press, I know Bibi recognizes her face. She's not some photographer who just landed here to cover a single event. She's been photographing Israel for 43 years, documenting the major events in this country's history."
Heidi Levine
(Photo: AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)
The family is also distressed by attacks against Levine on social media. "I'm deeply offended that people are portraying her as a leftist traitor when my mother has repeatedly risked her life to show what was happening during the wars between Israel and Lebanon, what was happening to wounded soldiers," Milner said. "She risked her life again and again to cover the truth and show the Israeli side."
"Throughout the war with Iran, from north to south, she went months without sleeping properly, sending photographs that appeared on front pages around the world to show what was happening to Israel," he continued. "And this is how they treat my mother, as a traitor."
Milner argued that Israel must urgently change its approach to violence in the West Bank. "I think it's essential to restore the Shin Bet's Jewish terrorism unit," he said. "It makes no sense that I'm hearing the police can't enter Areas A and B, and that's why they aren't making arrests. It's a complete failure."
He said his mother had repeatedly warned him about escalating violence in Palestinian communities. "For more than a year, she's been telling me again and again, 'You won't believe what they did yesterday. They burned people while we were inside the house.' She sent me videos of people attacking her while she was filming from inside Palestinian homes."
"There's simply no order and no governance," he said. "I also don't believe the army can stop them, because my mother has photographed soldiers praying alongside the rioters. Not during this particular incident, but we have photographs like that. Nobody is dealing with them, and I'm not surprised there was another report today and there will be more tomorrow."
"Beyond the fact that it's morally wrong, it's causing enormous strategic damage to us as a people around the world," Milner added. "Our situation is unbelievable. We are the most hated people on the face of the Earth."
Attacked for 10 minutes
Levine was attacked Friday near the Palestinian village of Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah, while covering the annual olive harvest. According to Palestinian accounts, approximately 80 masked Jewish rioters descended from a hillside overlooking terraced olive groves where villagers had gathered to pick ripe olives.
"I was attacked and thrown to the ground," Levine said after the assault. "Luckily, I had my protective vest and helmet. If I hadn't been wearing them, I probably wouldn't be here right now. They just kept kicking me, probably 50 times."
Speaking to The Associated Press, Levine said the attackers kicked her for approximately 10 minutes as she tried to protect her cameras and bag. She said her protective vest was clearly marked "PRESS."
"As a mother, I can't understand how a parent can raise monsters like these," Levine said. She described her attackers as "Jewish terrorists" and expressed doubt that any of them would be brought to justice.
As Levine recovers in the hospital, members of Commanders for Israel's Security, an organization comprising hundreds of former senior Israeli defense and security officials, sent her a letter of apology. The signatories protested what they described as encouragement of violence by senior government officials and lawmakers and called for a fundamental change in government policy.
First published: 20:27, 10.17.26