US Envoy Says West Bank Settler Attacks Fit Definition of Terror

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has stated that violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank meets the definition of "terror," describing such actions as unacceptable and harmful to Israel's interests.

In an interview with Israeli Channel 11, Huckabee said that activity intended to change behavior and create fear in an individual or community fits the historic dictionary definition of terror. He added that he did not know what else to call it, while noting that the perpetrators represent a tiny minority.

His comments come as Palestinian-American Loui Ridi returned to his home in the West Bank village of Qusra, where he says settlers have besieged the property for over a week. Ridi confronted the settlers on Tuesday and asked Israeli forces to remove them, but soldiers ordered him back inside, declaring the area a closed military zone. The troops also ordered the settlers to leave, though Ridi said at least three remained close enough to return and threaten his family.

Huckabee said that when such incidents involve an American citizen, the embassy has a responsibility to engage and firmly state that the behavior is unacceptable. He also said the settlers are hurting Israel, its reputation, and the Jewish people.

The United States, Israel's closest ally, has condemned the siege in Qusra, now in its tenth day. President Donald Trump has opposed Israeli annexation of the West Bank but has signaled broad acceptance of settlements and lifted sanctions on settlers accused of violence at the start of his second term.

Around 2.8 million Palestinians live under Israeli military rule in the West Bank alongside roughly 560,000 Israeli settlers. Extremist settlers, emboldened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government, have routinely attacked villages and set homes, cars, and mosques ablaze in the territory this year.