Netanyahu office alleges ‘smear’ campaign against Israel over settler attacks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Saturday alleged a “smear” campaign against settlers, as he tried to cast doubt over the circumstances of an attack on European diplomats.

“These reports come amid concerns about a coordinated campaign to smear Israel and the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria during the annual olive harvest, relying on sensational headlines before the full facts emerge,” his office said in a statement, using the biblical name for the West Bank.