US Envoy Mike Huckabee Stresses Israeli Responsibility to Protect West Bank Palestinians Amid Rising Settler Violence

United States ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee recently visited the occupied West Bank, holding meetings with local officials and residents, including Palestinian Americans who have suffered from violent Israeli settler attacks. Speaking on Saturday, the diplomat emphasized that the Israeli government bears a clear responsibility to guarantee the safety of Palestinians in the region following a significant surge in violence.

“One of the messages that we have been sending and we will continue to send is that people in these communities have a right to live with a level of security and safety, and that the government has a responsibility to make sure that happens,” Mike Huckabee stated to reporters.

Reporting from Turmus Aya in the occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim noted that Mike Huckabee engaged directly with local officials and Palestinian Americans in the village of Turmus Aya who are experiencing the direct impact of escalating settler aggression. Nida Ibrahim added that residents want the US ambassador to convey that this represents systematic violence requiring actual change, pointing out that local settlers even inscribed hostile slogans against Mike Huckabee himself.

Among those participating in the meetings was Ruwan Alqam, a US-Palestinian who relocated to Turmus Aya from Texas with her family four months ago. Ruwan Alqam shared that navigating the occupied West Bank involves constant roadblocks and confrontations with settlers. Recounting an incident where their car was pelted with rocks by Israeli settlers near Nablus, preventing their return home, Ruwan Alqam criticized the lack of accountability, stating that endangering Palestinians appears to be treated as a casual activity. Nevertheless, she noted that Mike Huckabee was very receptive during their discussion and that the community urgently needs attention.

Addressing the press afterward, Mike Huckabee maintained that crime and terror must face severe consequences. Meanwhile, former Israeli ambassador Alon Pinkas remarked to Al Jazeera that while the visit carries symbolic weight due to Mike Huckabee labeling certain violent settlers as terrorists, it is unlikely to shift broader American policy under the administration of Donald Trump.

Settler violence in the West Bank has escalated dramatically since the administration led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assumed power in late 2022. Concurrently, settlements have continued to expand despite violating international law, with Israel advancing plans for new units in the occupied West Bank.