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US envoy Mike Huckabee said Israel must ensure Palestinians’ safety in the West Bank and act against settler violence.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee meets a resident during his visit to Turmus Ayya in the West Bank on September 5, 2026. (Photo: Reuters)
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Saturday that the Israeli government bears responsibility for the safety of Palestinians in the West Bank and should impose “severe consequences” over violence, as he visited families following a surge in settler attacks.
Huckabee, a long-standing supporter of Israel and its settlers, visited the home of a Palestinian-American in the West Bank that has been repeatedly targeted by settlers. He said he wanted to hear the community’s “legitimate grievances”.
Huckabee Says Israel Must Ensure Safety
As the ambassador met Palestinian-American families inside a finely manicured old house in the town of Turmus Ayya, a settler from a nearby illegal outpost approached the area on a quad bike.
Around 80 percent of Turmus Ayya’s 4,000 residents hold US citizenship.
“One of the messages that we have been sending and we will continue to send is that people in these communities have a right to live with a level of security and safety, and that the government has a responsibility to make sure that that happens,” Huckabee said.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian residents has persisted for years, often with little or no legal consequence. However, attacks have surged in recent months ahead of the October 27 elections.
Huckabee stopped short of directly criticising Israel but said, “Our clear message is that crime is crime, terror is terror.”
“When people do it they should have an expectation that they will have severe consequences,” he said.
Huckabee said taking action was in the “best interest” of Israel, which is already facing growing criticism around the world, including in key ally the United States, over its devastating offensive in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
“Their reputation does not do well when it appears that this tiny little group of marauders are somehow representative of the larger population. I don’t believe that it is,” Huckabee said.
“There may be a few hundred who are responsible, but that’s a few hundred too many,” he added.
Palestinian-Americans Seek US Pressure On Israel
Huckabee spent around two hours meeting Palestinian-Americans inside the home of Samir Hazmeh before joining the community for a lunch of maqluba, a rice-and-meat dish served after flipping the pot upside down.
Hazmeh said the house where he hosted Huckabee had its windows smashed twice by settlers. He said settlers had also tried to open the gates and burn the house down. He has installed barbed wire and put up an American flag in hopes of protection.
Yasser Alqam, who also met the ambassador, owns land just 100 metres away but said he can no longer return after several attacks by settlers.
“The United States already has the ability to put pressure on Israel to at least arrest those settlers who are known to the authorities,” Alqam said.
He also voiced shock that President Donald Trump had lifted sanctions on settler extremists imposed by his predecessor, Joe Biden.
Alqam’s wife, Jinan, who was wearing a traditional Palestinian dress, said she told Huckabee that she hoped he “can do something for us and provide us with protection from the settlers so that we can reach our land and pick the olives” in the coming season.
Settler Violence Rises Ahead Of Elections
Ahead of the elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has been ramping up approval of new settlements, which are illegal under international law.
More than 500,000 Israelis live in the West Bank alongside three million Palestinians.
Despite Huckabee’s description of violent settlers as a small minority, Netanyahu has brought far-right ministers into his government who have openly discussed expelling the Palestinian population.
Huckabee also denied that Israel was planning to force Palestinians out of Gaza, after Israeli ministers spoke of a plan to remove the two million people living there.
Huckabee Cites Bible On Settler Violence
Huckabee, an evangelical Christian pastor and former governor of Arkansas, has long cited his faith in support of Israel and previously refused to use the term Palestinian.
Speaking about settler violence, Huckabee said, “I think the Scripture is pretty clear – Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not kill, and thou shalt not even covet.”
Huckabee had earlier intervened when settler extremists camped out and blocked basic supplies from reaching another Palestinian-American in the town of Qusra last month. The incident led to rare condemnation of settlers by Netanyahu.
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Ask News18US Ambassador Mike Huckabee visited the West Bank to meet with Palestinian-American families, including those targeted by settler violence, and to hear their grievances. He emphasized Israel’s responsibility for the safety of Palestinians in the region.
Ask News18September 05, 2026, 8:34 PM IST
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