Son of WaPo journalist beaten by settlers: ‘We were told Bezos is shocked, will do everything to see justice served’

The son of Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine, who was beaten by settlers in West Bank, says he was told that the newspaper’s billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos, has said he will take action to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.

“We had an opportunity to show governance and to see justice served, but unfortunately they take it and as usual throw it in the trash,” Michael Milner tells the Kan public broadcaster, a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cast doubt about the attack.

“The Washington Post staff support my mother, we heard that Jeff Bezos wants to speak to her today, that he is shocked by what happened and promised he would do everything to see justice served in this case,” Milner says, highlighting the strong statements on the attack from the US government.

Levine underwent surgery on her finger, which was nearly detached from her hand in the brutal attack.

“My mother is in a hospital bed, unable to get out of bed. She broke four vertebrae in her back. She almost had a finger amputated. She is mentally shaken by what happened,” says Milner.

The assault occurred on Friday near the village of Abu Falah, north of Ramallah, where some 80 settlers, many of them masked and some of them carrying gas canisters, began throwing rocks and beating Palestinians and accompanying activists, as well as Levine.

“My mother has been taking pictures for over 40 years, mainly war zones, including Ukraine and Russia, and Afghanistan and Syria. She covered wars between Israel and Iran,” he says. “There were incidents where stones were thrown at her, she was also hit by a rubber bullet. But there was never an attack like this. I never saw her lynched. She was never robbed. This was an extraordinary event.”