US Ambassador Calls Violent Israeli Settlers ‘Terrorists’ After Weeks Of West Bank Unrest
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has again condemned Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank, calling attacks against Palestinians an “act of terror” and referring to violent settlers as “terrorists” during a visit to Turmus Ayya on Saturday.
Huckabee met Palestinian American residents and relatives of US citizens killed by settlers in the town near Ramallah, which has faced repeated attacks over the past year. Around 80% of Turmus Ayya’s roughly 3,000 residents are reportedly Palestinian Americans.
“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.
He said the US Embassy could not investigate crimes directly but could press the Israeli government to investigate and prosecute those responsible. Huckabee also said Israel had a responsibility to ensure Palestinians could live safely and warned that violent settlers should face “severe consequences.” He described the perpetrators as a small minority, saying there could be “a few hundred” responsible, but that was still too many.
Huckabee had already called violent settlers “terrorists” last month after settlers surrounded Palestinian homes in Qusra, including one belonging to a Palestinian American. Days later, residents of Bazariya said settlers burned a mosque and left Hebrew graffiti referring to Huckabee as being “from the terrorists.” Huckabee responded that he was “glad they admitted it.”
The latest visit comes amid continued reports of attacks. Israeli settlers were reportedly accused of torching Palestinian farmland in al-Mughayyir and attacking a convoy travelling to offer condolences following the deaths of two Palestinian teenagers earlier in the week.
The escalation has drawn increasing international concern. The UN said in August that more than 1,430 settler-related incidents had been documented in the West Bank in 2026, affecting about 260 Palestinian communities. Nearly 3,800 Palestinians had been displaced because of settler violence, demolitions and evictions by August 10.
UN reporting has described settler violence in 2026 as reaching unprecedented levels, with the sustained frequency of attacks becoming a major driver of Palestinian displacement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned what he called the actions of a “handful of rioters”, while Israel’s Foreign Ministry described the violence as “a disgrace.” However, critics say perpetrators are rarely arrested or prosecuted.
Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza in the 1967 war. The Palestinians seek the territories for a future state, while the UN and most of the international community consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. Israel disputes the legal status of the territory.
The Israeli government has built around 150 settlements housing more than 500,000 Jewish settlers, with settlement expansion continuing under Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition.