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2w ago

U.S. Ambassador Labels Violent West Bank Settlers ‘Terrorists’ During Turmus Ayya Visit

The trip delivers a rare, sharp U.S. rebuke that urges Israel to investigate perpetrators, impose penalties, improve protection for Palestinian residents.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee speaks during a press conference after he met residents of Turmus Ayya, a Palestinian town near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that is home to many American citizens, September 5, 2026. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
Image
Palestinians check the damage to a mosque that, according to residents, was burned during an attack by Israeli settlers, in the West Bank village of Bazariya, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, as on its wall a Hebrew graffiti reads "Huckabee regards from the terrorists", referring to the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee meets residents of Turmus Ayya, a Palestinian town near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that is home to many American citizens, September 5, 2026. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

Overview

  • The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, visited the West Bank town of Turmus Ayya on Saturday and publicly called violent Israeli settlers "terrorists," saying their actions amount to an "act of terror."
  • Huckabee met Palestinian-American residents and relatives of U.S. citizens killed by settlers, heard accounts of arson, vandalism and intimidation, and filmed settlers who passed near the meeting for the record.
  • He told residents the U.S. Embassy cannot investigate crimes directly but said Washington can press Israel to investigate alleged attacks and that perpetrators should face "severe consequences."
  • Israeli leaders have issued limited public condemnations and police have made some recent arrests, yet rights groups and U.N. officials say prosecutions remain rare and impunity persists.
  • The visit underscores a wider trend documented by international monitors of rising settler violence since 2023 and growing diplomatic sensitivity because many affected West Bank communities include U.S. citizens.