Israeli envoy to Italy calls magazine antisemitic over settler violence coverage
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Elis Gjevori
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Tue, 04/14/2026 - 07:56
Israeli ambassador mocked after attacking cover exposing reality of settler violence in West Bank
L'Espresso's front page depiciting Israeli settler threatening Palestinians in the occupied West Bank (Screenshot from Instagram/Pietro Masturzo)
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A row has erupted after Israel’s ambassador to Italy, Jonathan Peled, lashed out at a magazine cover highlighting violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, saying it is antisemitic.
The 10 April edition of L'Espresso featured a photograph of an Israeli soldier confronting a Palestinian woman under the headline “Abuse”, alongside a series of reports examining the expansion of Israel’s settler movement and its impact on Palestinian communities.
Peled condemned the cover, calling it “manipulative” and accusing the publication of distorting the reality of Israeli occupation.
"The image distorts the complex reality with which Israel must coexist, promoting stereotypes and hatred," he wrote on X, adding that “responsible journalism must be balanced and fair.”
The photograph, taken by Italian photojournalist Pietro Masturzo, forms part of a broader body of work documenting life under Israeli occupation - in this case in the Palestinian village of Idhna, west of Hebron, on 12 October 2025, the first day of the olive harvest.
"Just as the harvest began, a group of armed Israeli settlers (some of whom were wearing army uniforms, like the settler in question) accompanied by real soldiers (with their faces covered) arrived and prevented the Palestinians from picking their olives," said Masturzo.
"The settler's expression is reflected in the gesture he repeats, mimicking the sound a shepherd makes when gathering his flock, addressing the Palestinians as if they were his own animals," added the photojournalist.
Similar images of the same individuals have appeared in international coverage underscoring the consistency of reporting on settler violence.
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Masturzo defended the publication of the image, saying it reflects realities that many prefer to ignore.
"Together, we are trying not only to report Israeli crimes in Palestine, but above all to support and express our solidarity with those Palestinian photographers who risk their lives every day to denounce the abuses suffered by their people," he wrote on Instagram.
The Israeli ambassador went on to insinuate without evidence that it was “hard to prove” that the image was not doctored.
The magazine’s reporting, written by Alae Al Said, draws on testimonies from Palestinians in the Jordan Valley, where settlers, often backed by Israeli forces, carry out near-daily attacks.
One father of six described how dozens of settlers stormed his village, damaged infrastructure, assaulted residents, demolished homes and seized livestock.
In another case, settlers took control of a vital water spring serving several Palestinian communities. “They've colonized all the water sources,” one resident said.
The coverage also pointed to international responses that have failed to halt the violence. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed “concern” over settler attacks last month, but the magazine dismissed such statements as empty gestures that shield Israel from accountability.
"The US remains the main guarantor of the colonization and genocide of Palestinians, which continues at a slower pace, silently and relentlessly," the reporting concluded..
Online, thousands of users mocked Peled’s criticism arguing the image reflects the daily reality Palestinians face under occupation.
One social media user said “With this one photograph you somehow told the story of contempt and impunity more effectively than thousands of existing images of brutal violence. It’s a reminder of the power that photography can still wield, despite everything.
While another mockingly added that documenting “reality is antisemitic.”
Israel has killed more than 72,329 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 172,192 since launching its genocide on 7 October, 2023.
In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 1,050 Palestinians since the start of the war, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Most recently, Israeli soldiers beat a 68-year-old Palestinian woman to death during a raid on her home in the town of Jayyous in the northern West Bank.
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