U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, engaged with Palestinian Americans, including relatives of U.S. citizens who lost their lives due to attacks by Israeli settlers, during a visit to a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank that has been a target of settler violence. This visit coincides with increased international criticism of settler violence and perceived inaction by the Israeli government. While the Israeli government has denounced such violence, arrests and prosecutions of perpetrators remain rare.
Although the U.S. government has not openly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration over the issue, there have been calls for the prosecution of those responsible, with Huckabee labeling them as terrorists. The ambassador described his meeting in Turmus Ayya, where a majority of the town’s Palestinian residents are U.S. citizens, as constructive.
Huckabee, a Baptist minister and longstanding supporter of Israeli settlements, has previously advocated for the prosecution of violent settlers. However, he believes that 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.
Under Netanyahu’s right-wing government, Palestinians in the West Bank have faced escalating settler violence and increasing restrictions on their freedoms due to military occupation. In Turmus Ayya, Mayor Nawwaf Zaghoul reported ongoing settler attacks, with roughly 80% of the town’s 3,000 residents being U.S. citizens.
Israeli settlements surrounding the town, including Shiloh, have been a focal point of Huckabee’s visits since 2025. Embracing the biblical names Judea and Samaria for the West Bank, Huckabee, the first evangelical Christian U.S. envoy to Israel, has emphasized the need for the Israeli government to address criminal behavior and terrorism within the settler community.
During the meeting, Huckabee clarified to Palestinian Americans that the U.S. Embassy lacks the authority to take direct action but can raise awareness and advocate for necessary corrections. In early 2025, President Donald Trump rescinded sanctions on far-right Israeli settler groups imposed by the previous administration, sparking further debate.
Disagreeing with Huckabee’s assessment, Yasser Alkam, a Palestinian American spokesperson, claimed that thousands, not just hundreds, of settlers engage in violence against Palestinians. He urged the U.S. to pressure Israel to address this issue and take action against the perpetrators. Among the attendees was Hadeel Jabara, a Palestinian American widow whose husband, Omar, was killed by settlers in 2023, expressing hope for enhanced protection and safety for her children with the assistance of the U.S. government.
Since 2024, at least six Palestinian Americans have lost their lives in the occupied West Bank due to violence perpetrated by the Israeli military or settlers.