Israeli settlers enter Palestinian town during US ambassador's visit

Two Israeli settlers entered the Palestinian town of Turmusaya on Saturday as US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited residents who had suffered from settler violence, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

Municipal council member Awad Abu Samra said the men arrived on an all-terrain motorcycle in the eastern part of the town, about 100 meters from where Huckabee was standing. The ambassador was meeting municipal representatives and US citizens living in Turmusaya who had been victims of attacks.

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Crime is crime, terror is terror.

The town has about 3,000 residents. Mayor Nawwaf Zaghoul said roughly 80% are Palestinian Americans. During the visit, Huckabee described settler violence against US citizens in the area as terrorism. He told reporters, "Crime is crime, terror is terror," and warned that those responsible "must expect severe consequences."

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must expect severe consequences

Huckabee said Turmusaya's residents had "legitimate grievances" and that he had come to "listen to them." He also said Israel must guarantee the safety of Palestinian citizens in the West Bank.

Residents say Turmusaya has repeatedly been targeted by radical settlers who enter the town and damage homes with near impunity. The report said settler violence in the West Bank has intensified since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government, described as Israel's most right-wing in history, took power in late 2022.

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have legitimate grievances

Huckabee, a longtime supporter of Israeli settlements, has previously called for violent settlers to face prosecution while arguing that they represent a minority among the roughly 750,000 settlers. He also visited the Christian town of Taybeh in June 2025 after one of its churches was vandalized, calling that incident an act of terrorism.

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listen to them