U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, held discussions with Palestinian Americans in a Palestinian town located in the occupied West Bank on Saturday. Among the attendees were relatives of U.S. citizens who had been killed by Israeli settlers in the area, which has been a frequent target of settler attacks.
The visit took place amidst mounting international criticism of settler violence and perceived inaction by the Israeli government. Although the Israeli government has denounced such violence, the perpetrators are seldom apprehended or prosecuted.
While Washington has refrained from directly criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration over the issue, it has advocated for the prosecution of those responsible. Huckabee labeled the violent settlers as terrorists and emphasized the need for legal actions against them.
The ambassador characterized his meeting in Turmus Ayya, a town where the majority of Palestinian residents are U.S. citizens, as productive. He acknowledged that although he supports Israeli settlements, he believes that the violent settlers constitute only a small fraction of the larger settler community.
Turmus Ayya has been experiencing persistent settler assaults, as Mayor Nawwaf Zaghoul highlighted. Approximately 80% of the town’s around 3,000 inhabitants hold U.S. citizenship.
Israeli settlements, including Shiloh, have been established around the area. Huckabee has visited Shiloh twice since 2025. Referring to the West Bank as Judea and Samaria, he stressed the biblical name used by the Israeli government but not adopted by the U.S.
Huckabee underlined the importance for the Israeli government to address the criminal behavior and terrorism carried out by a small group of violent settlers. He clarified that the U.S. Embassy lacks the authority to take direct action but can advocate for necessary corrections.
In January 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump revoked sanctions imposed by the previous administration on far-right Israeli settler groups involved in violence against Palestinians. Palestinian American spokesperson Yasser Alkam disputed Huckabee’s claim that only a few hundred settlers engage in violence, asserting that the number is much higher.
During the meeting, Huckabee also interacted with Hadeel Jabara, a Palestinian American who lost her husband to settlers in 2023. She expressed hope that the U.S. government could enhance residents’ protection, especially for her children’s safety, amid concerns. Tragically, at least six Palestinian Americans have lost their lives in the occupied West Bank due to conflicts with the Israeli military or settlers since 2024.