US Ambassador Calls Settlers 'Terrorists' During West Bank Visit
Ambassador Mike Huckabee visited the West Bank village of Turmus Ayya on Saturday. He met Palestinian American residents and called settler attacks on their homes acts of terror.
- About 80% of Turmus Ayya's roughly 3,000 residents are Palestinian Americans.
- Settler violence surged after Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, per the UN.
- Huckabee met roughly 10 Palestinian American residents who described violence and property damage.
- Settlers near the village had spray-painted 'Huckabee regards from the terrorists' in Hebrew.
Why it matters: Huckabee used the word 'terrorists' to describe settlers who burn cars, torch mosques, and vandalize homes — language US officials typically apply to Palestinian militants.
- The Israeli government has built nearly 150 settlements housing over 500,000 settlers in the West Bank since 1967.
- Rights groups say the Israeli military frequently does not intervene in settler attacks on Palestinians.
How 11 sources split on this story
Where they split: Whether Huckabee's visit signals a shift in US pressure on Israel or remains largely symbolic with no policy consequences.
Reuters18hEmbajador EEUU visita localidad palestina en medio de recrudecimiento de violencia de colonos en Cisjordania
Jerusalem Post1hHuckabee’s West Bank message: Condemn violence, defend truth - editorial
Associated Press15hUS ambassador calls violent Israeli settlers ‘terrorists’ after weeks of West Bank unrest
France 2419hUS ambassador to Israel visits Palestinian town hit by West Bank settler violenceLeft coverage, 4 sources: The left frames the visit as a largely symbolic gesture that does not reflect a real shift in Trump administration policy, and emphasizes the systematic nature of settler violence and Israeli government complicity.
Al Jazeera18hIsrael must protect West Bank’s Palestinians amid settler pogroms: US envoy
The Independent15hUS ambassador calls violent Israeli settlers ‘terrorists’ after weeks of West Bank unrest
Los Angeles Times11hU.S. ambassador again calls violent Israeli West Bank settlers ‘terrorists’TBGThe Boston Globe13hUS ambassador calls violent Israeli settlers ‘terrorists’ after weeks of West Bank unrestRight coverage, 3 sources: The right frames Huckabee's visit as consistent with his stated position that violent settlers are a prosecutable minority distinct from the broader settler community, which he continues to support.
The Daily Caller7hUS Ambassador To Israel Calls Settler Violence In West Bank ‘Act of Terror’
The Washington Times15hAmbassador Mike Huckabee calls violent Israeli settlers 'terrorists' after weeks of West Bank unrest
Washington Examiner13hMike Huckabee again condemns violent Israeli settlers as ‘terrorists’ in West Bank visitWhat’s next: Huckabee said the US Embassy will keep telling Israel that 'specific crimes and acts of terror cannot continue' without accountability.
- Israel's defense minister announced plans to transfer settler law enforcement fully to the Israeli police.
- Will the Trump administration apply concrete pressure on Israel to prosecute violent settlers, or will visits like this remain symbolic?
- What legal or diplomatic steps, if any, will the US take to protect its citizens living in West Bank villages?