U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, engaged with Palestinian Americans, including relatives of U.S. citizens who lost their lives at the hands of Israeli settlers, during a visit to a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank that has been a target of settler violence.
The meeting took place amidst mounting international criticism of settler violence and perceived inaction by the Israeli government. While the Israeli government has condemned such acts, arrests and prosecutions of the perpetrators remain infrequent.
U.S. authorities have urged the Israeli government to prosecute those responsible for violence, with Huckabee categorizing them as terrorists. The ambassador’s meeting in Turmus Ayya, where a majority of the town’s Palestinian residents hold U.S. citizenship, was described as productive.
Huckabee, a Baptist minister and advocate for Israeli settlements, has called for the prosecution of violent settlers in the past but believes they represent a minority within the settler community, which totals around 750,000 individuals. In contrast, approximately three million Palestinians reside in the occupied West Bank, with tens of thousands holding American citizenship.
Mayor Nawwaf Zaghoul reported ongoing settler attacks in Turmus Ayya, a town where roughly 80% of the 3,000 residents are American citizens. The ambassador has previously visited Israeli settlements near the town, including Shiloh.
During his visit, Huckabee stressed the importance for the Israeli government to address criminal behavior and terrorism carried out by a small group of individuals tarnishing the country’s reputation. He clarified to Palestinian Americans that the U.S. Embassy lacks the authority to directly intervene but can raise awareness and advocate for corrective actions.
In early 2025, President Donald Trump revoked sanctions imposed by the previous administration on far-right Israeli settler groups involved in violence against Palestinians. Yasser Alkam, a Palestinian American spokesperson, disputed Huckabee’s estimate of a few hundred violent settlers, suggesting that the number was in the thousands.
Huckabee’s meeting with Palestinian Americans included Hadeel Jabara, a mother of two whose husband, Omar, a U.S. citizen, was killed by settlers in 2023. She expressed hope for U.S. government assistance in ensuring residents’ safety, particularly for her children. Tragically, at least six Palestinian Americans have lost their lives in the West Bank due to either settler violence or military actions since 2024.
