U.S. ambassador calls ongoing West Bank settler violence an "act of terror"

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank an "act of terror" during a visit Saturday to Turmus Ayya, a village that has reported frequent attacks over the past year.

"If there are squatters that come in and put up their own flags and take possession of something that does not belong to them, if they burn a car, if they torch a mosque, if they go into someone's home and vandalize it, paint graffiti on the walls, that's a criminal act. But it extends beyond a criminal act. It's an act of terror," Huckabee said.

“

If there are squatters that come in and put up their own flags and take possession of something that does not belong to them, if they burn a car, if they torch a mosque, if they go into someone's home and vandalize it, paint graffiti on the walls, that's a criminal act. But it extends beyond a criminal act. It's an act of terror.

The ambassador said he was speaking to U.S. citizens in Turmus Ayya and other communities, who represent a small share of the roughly 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank. "I'm very aware that a lot of the American people who live in Turmus Ayya and other communities across this region are not enjoying the life they deserve to live, not enjoying it in a peaceful way," he said. "It's a life that is disturbed by people who have created extraordinary challenges that are unfair and illegal."

“

I'm very aware that a lot of the American people who live in Turmus Ayya and other communities across this region are not enjoying the life they deserve to live, not enjoying it in a peaceful way.

Huckabee said the U.S. Embassy could not investigate criminal activity, but could tell Israel that crimes and acts of terror required investigation and adjudication. About 10 Palestinian American residents described the effect of the violence on their lives and properties, the municipality told The Associated Press.

The United Nations humanitarian office has said settler attacks surged after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. A week earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the actions of a "handful of rioters," while Israel's Foreign Ministry called the settlers' actions "a disgrace." The article also notes that Israel has built nearly 150 settlements in the West Bank, home to more than 500,000 Jewish settlers, while the United Nations and much of the international community consider the territory illegally occupied.

“

It's a life that is disturbed by people who have created extraordinary challenges that are unfair and illegal.