U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, representing the United States in Israel, held discussions on Saturday with Palestinian Americans, including relatives of U.S. citizens who lost their lives due to attacks by Israeli settlers, in a Palestinian town located in the occupied West Bank that has been a frequent target for settler violence.
The meeting took place amid growing international criticism of settler aggression and perceived inaction by the Israeli government. Although the Israeli authorities have denounced settler violence, those responsible are seldom arrested or prosecuted.
While the U.S. has refrained from directly criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration regarding the violence, there have been calls for the prosecution of the perpetrators, with Huckabee labeling them as terrorists.
The ambassador characterized his talks in Turmus Ayya, where a significant portion of the town’s Palestinian population holds U.S. citizenship, as productive.
Huckabee, a Baptist minister and a staunch supporter of Israeli settlements, has previously advocated for prosecuting violent settlers. He believes that this violent faction constitutes a minority within the settler community, which totals around 750,000 individuals.
Approximately three million Palestinians reside in the occupied West Bank, with tens of thousands estimated to be American citizens. The Palestinians in the West Bank have faced escalating settler violence and increasing restrictions under military occupation since the rise of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition in late 2022.
Mayor Nawwaf Zaghoul of Turmus Ayya highlighted the ongoing settler attacks faced by Palestinians in the town, where roughly 80% of the residents who number around 3,000 hold U.S. citizenship.
Israeli settlements have been established around Turmus Ayya, including in Shiloh, which the ambassador has visited twice since 2025.
Huckabee, the first evangelical Christian to serve as the U.S. envoy to Israel, commonly refers to the West Bank as Judea and Samaria, its biblical name, although this terminology is not officially adopted by the United States.
During his visit to Turmus Ayya, Huckabee emphasized the importance for the Israeli government to take action against individuals engaged in criminal acts and terrorism, denouncing a small group of violent individuals tarnishing the country’s reputation.
He conveyed to Palestinian Americans that the U.S. Embassy lacks the authority to take direct action but can influence and raise awareness about issues requiring correction as perceived by the U.S. government.
In early 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump rescinded sanctions imposed by the previous administration on far-right Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of involvement in violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Yasser Alkam, a Palestinian American and municipal spokesperson, disputed Huckabee’s claim that only a few hundred settlers were responsible for violence, stating that the number was actually in the thousands.
One of the attendees of the meeting with Huckabee was Hadeel Jabara, a Palestinian American mother whose husband, Omar, a U.S. citizen, was killed by settlers in 2023. She expressed optimism about the meeting and hoped for U.S. government assistance in safeguarding residents, particularly her children’s safety.
Since 2024, at least six Palestinian Americans have lost their lives in the occupied West Bank due to incidents involving the Israeli military or settlers.