Huckabee Visits Turmus Ayya, Labels Settler Violence Terrorism

United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited the Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya in the occupied West Bank on Saturday. He stated his goal was understanding local conditions and addressing urgent security issues affecting residents in the area during his official trip.

Huckabee declared that Israeli settler violence against United States citizens constitutes a form of terrorism. He emphasized that the Israeli government bears full responsibility for ensuring the safety and security of all residents living within the contested territories of the region.

The ambassador referred to the occupied territory as Judea and Samaria, citing ancient biblical terms. He described the phrase West Bank as nebulous, reflecting his longstanding support for settlements despite international law deeming them illegal and most nations rejecting such terminology.

He characterized violent perpetrators as a tiny minority of the settler population. Palestinians challenged this assessment, noting a sharp escalation in attacks documented by the United Nations with over one thousand incidents recorded since the beginning of the current year.

Huckabee met with relatives of Palestinian Americans killed in recent violence. He acknowledged their legitimate grievances and promised to listen, though he maintained that Washington lacks the authority to directly intervene in internal security matters of the occupied territories.

Regarding Gaza, he blamed Hamas for obstructing President Donald Trump’s peace plan. Huckabee asserted that progress requires Hamas to lay down arms, while reiterating that no one supports the forced displacement of Palestinians from their homes or lands.