Occupied Jerusalem, Sept. 5 (SANA) US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee Saturday condemned Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank as “an act of terror,” describing those responsible as “terrorists.”
Huckabee made the remarks during a visit to the village of Turmus Ayya, where Palestinian American residents have faced months of settler attacks.
“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,” Huckabee said.
“But it extends beyond a criminal act. It’s an act of terror,” he added.
According to the UN humanitarian office, Israeli settler attacks have surged across the occupied West Bank since the Israeli war on Gaza began in October 2023.
Huckabee also described violent settlers as “terrorists” last month following weeks of unrest in the West Bank town of Qusra, where settlers surrounded several homes, including one belonging to a Palestinian American.
Days later, residents of Bazariya said settlers set fire to a mosque and left Hebrew graffiti on a wall reading: “Huckabee, regards from the terrorists.”
“I’m glad they admitted it,” Huckabee said Saturday, adding that those responsible represented “a very tiny minority.”
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