An Israeli soldier aims a rifle during an Israeli military operation at the Balata camp for Palestinian refugees, east of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on Aug. 31, 2026. (Credit: Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP)
Israel will deport on Monday a British activist who was "kidnapped by settlers and assaulted" in the occupied West Bank over the weekend and subsequently transferred to police custody, his lawyer told AFP.
Finn Joughin was in the southern West Bank village of Umm al-Khair on Saturday doing a protective presence, a tactic used to deter Israeli settler violence against Palestinians, his lawyer, Inbar Shaked Vardi, said.
She said children from settler families had entered the Palestinian village's sports center before attempting to dismantle fences that had been put up to protect residents from settler attacks.
"Finn only stood there holding on to the fence in an attempt to stop the break-in; at that point settlers began yelling accusations at him in Hebrew that he did not understand," Vardi said.
"Settlers started accusing him of sexually harassing one of the children, which is not something that happened," she said, adding that armed settlers then took Joughin by force to a nearby settlement.
"He was taken to a shed inside the settlement of Carmel... He was put in a headlock, and his hands were tied behind his back, and he was forced to sit on the floor in the shed for 30 minutes while settlers filmed humiliating videos that they later posted," Vardi said, adding it was "a violation of both his right to privacy and his right to a good name."
Israeli police were called to the scene and arrested him, Vardi said, adding that officers "interrogated him under the sole suspicion of assault."
While waiting for his hearing at Jerusalem Magistrates Court on Sunday, police announced Joughin would be moved to Israel's immigration authority and transferred to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Vardi said.
Authorities decided to deport him following a pre-deportation hearing on Sunday, with his flight scheduled for around 3 p.m. (1200 GMT) on Monday, Vardi said.
In a statement, Israeli police said a "foreign national who disturbed public order" near the Carmel settlement was arrested and subsequently transferred to the immigration authority.
"A complaint was also filed against him on suspicion of assaulting a minor and other suspected offences," it added.
"After sufficient evidentiary basis was established regarding his actions, the investigation materials were transferred last night to the Population and Immigration Authority for a hearing and a decision regarding his removal from Israel," it said.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.
Violence by Israeli settlers towards Palestinians has persisted for years, often with no legal consequence, but recent months have seen a surge in attacks.
More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the Palestinian territory, which are illegal under international law, among some three million Palestinians.
Vardi said Joughin's case reflected a broader policy by the Israeli government and law enforcement to expand Jewish settlement in the territory.
"Both Palestinians and activists who are assaulted by settlers are often the ones who are arrested by Israeli police, despite clear evidence that they were victims of assault," she said.
