US Envoy Calls West Bank Settler Attacks 'Act of Terror' During Visit

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday described violent acts by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank as "an act of terror," using language typically reserved for Palestinian militants. He made the remarks during a visit to the village of Turmus Ayya, which has reported repeated attacks over the past year.

"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.

The ambassador met with about ten Palestinian American residents who described the impact of the violence on their lives and properties, according to the local municipality. He acknowledged that many US citizens in the region are not living peacefully, saying their lives are "disturbed by people who have created extraordinary challenges that are unfair and illegal."

Settler violence has surged since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza, according to the UN humanitarian office. Huckabee previously used the term "terrorists" last month after unrest in the West Bank town of Qusra, where settlers surrounded homes, including one owned by a Palestinian American. Days later, residents of Bazariya said settlers burned a mosque and left graffiti reading "Huckabee regards from the terrorists" in Hebrew.

"I'm glad they admitted it," Huckabee said Saturday, adding that the perpetrators represent "a very tiny minority." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the actions of a "handful of rioters," and the foreign ministry called the actions "a disgrace."

Israel captured the West Bank, along with Gaza and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war. The international community largely views Israeli settlements there as illegal. Nearly 150 settlements, home to over 500,000 Jewish settlers, have been built since then. Rights groups say the Israeli military often turns a blind eye to settler violence, though the defense minister recently announced plans to transfer law enforcement among settlers to the Israeli police.