Full story
Huckabee in Turmus Ayya
U.S. ambassador Mike Huckabee visited the Palestinian town of Turmus Ayya in the central West Bank and urged “severe consequences” for violent settlers as he met with Palestinians, including families of Palestinian Americans killed by settlers.
“Our clear message is that crime is crime, terror is terror”
Huckabee said, “Our clear message is that crime is crime, terror is terror,” adding that “there may be a few hundred who are responsible, but that’s a few hundred too many.”
The visit included a reported incident in which settlers were seen riding past in an all-terrain vehicle as Huckabee raised his phone to film them, and unnamed sources told Channel 12 news that Huckabee promised to personally send the video to U.S. President Donald Trump.
CBS News reported Huckabee condemned the behavior again on Saturday as an “act of terror” during his visit to Turmus Ayya, where he met with about 10 Palestinian American residents who described the impact of violence on their lives and properties.
In Turmus Ayya, residents said harassment was common and they were unable to prevent settlers from entering the town and damaging their homes, according to The Times of Israel.
Terror language and dispute
Huckabee framed settler actions as terrorism during his remarks in Turmus Ayya, saying, “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,” it is an “act of terror.”
The Associated Press account carried by CBS News said Huckabee told the U.S. Embassy could not investigate criminal activity but could press Israel to investigate and prosecute “specific crimes and acts of terror that cannot continue.”
The Times of Israel reported that, when someone beside him remarked, “There is no respect for nobody,” Huckabee could be heard responding, “Yeah,” during footage from his visit.
In a separate report, El Nuevo Diario said two Israeli settlers barged into Turmusaya during Huckabee’s visit, entering about 100 meters from where the ambassador was located.
The Times of Israel also reported that Turmus Ayya Mayor Nawwaf Zaghoul said about 80% of the town’s roughly 3,000 residents were Palestinian Americans, and that residents would be asking the ambassador to help keep them safe.
What comes next
Huckabee’s message in Turmus Ayya was tied to accountability, with The Times of Israel reporting he told reporters that “the government has a responsibility” to ensure targeted Palestinians’ safety.
“the government has a responsibility”
CBS News said Huckabee told the host government that “there are needs that need to be addressed, there are issues that cannot go unnoticed,” and that specific crimes and acts of terror cannot continue without investigation and adjudication.
The Times of Israel reported that Huckabee denied Israel was planning to force Palestinians out of Gaza, saying, “I can tell you categorically there is no plan of the Israelis to displace people out of Gaza against their will,” and that he said the West Bank was “Judea and Samaria.”
Anadolu Ajansı reported that the Israeli government is “responsible for ensuring the security and safety” of Palestinians in the West Bank and that it is in Israelis’ interest to punish those who carry out practices amounting to terrorism.
The same Anadolu Ajansı report said the ambassador described the embassy’s role as limited—“we do not have the authority or mandate to adjudicate these disputes; we simply monitor, follow up, and draw attention to what must be corrected”—while also describing an “international effort to de-escalate tensions and violence” in the West Bank.