The United States ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, renewed his condemnation of violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, labeling their actions as “acts of terror” during a visit to the Palestinian American community in the village of Turmus Ayya on Saturday. The ambassador’s remarks mark a rare public characterization of settler violence using terminology typically reserved by U.S. officials for Palestinian militants.
Huckabee described incidents involving settlers who have taken possession of properties, vandalized homes, damaged vehicles, and targeted places of worship, including mosques, as criminal acts that go beyond ordinary lawbreaking. “If there are squatters that come in and put up their own flags and take possession of something that does not belong to them, if they burn a car, if they torch a mosque, if they go into someone’s home and vandalize it, paint graffiti on the walls, that’s a criminal act. But it extends beyond a criminal act. It’s an act of terror,” he said.
The ambassador’s visit followed a series of violent attacks attributed to settlers, which have reportedly increased since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza, triggered by the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. According to the United Nations humanitarian office, settler violence in the West Bank has intensified amid the broader regional tensions.
Huckabee’s strong language echoes remarks he made last month amid unrest in the West Bank town of Qusra, where settlers surrounded homes, including one owned by a Palestinian American. Shortly thereafter, residents of Bazariya reported that a mosque was set ablaze and defaced with graffiti, including a message in Hebrew stating, “Huckabee regards from the terrorists.” In response, the ambassador commented, “I’m glad they admitted it,” clarifying that such acts represent only a small minority of settlers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly condemned the violence as the work of a “handful of rioters,” while the Israeli Foreign Ministry described the settler actions as “a disgrace.” However, Netanyahu’s government has simultaneously overseen an expansion of settlement construction in the West Bank, a practice that is widely regarded by the international community as illegal under international law.
The increasing tensions and violence in the West Bank underscore the complex and volatile nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with settlement activity, security concerns, and political dynamics continuing to fuel unrest in the region.