Overview
- On Saturday U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee visited the West Bank town of Turmus Ayya, met Palestinian American residents and relatives of U.S. citizens killed by settlers, and publicly called the most violent perpetrators "terrorists."
- Huckabee urged Israel to take responsibility for protecting Palestinians in the West Bank and demanded arrests and "severe consequences" for those who burn property, block homes, or attack civilians.
- Israeli authorities have made some recent arrests tied to suspected arson and assaults, but residents and rights groups say prosecutions remain rare and they doubt security forces will provide reliable protection.
- Reporting and U.N. data describe a sharp rise in settler attacks since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right coalition took office in late 2022 and a further spike after the Oct. 7, 2023 Gaza war.
- Huckabee's rare, blunt rebuke — coming from a longtime supporter of settlements — risks increasing pressure on Israel from U.S. constituencies while underscoring limits on the U.S. Embassy's ability to enforce law beyond diplomatic appeals.