US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited Turmus Ayya, a Palestinian town near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, on September 5, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Huckabee met with Palestinian Americans, including families of US citizens killed by Israeli settlers, and local officials to discuss escalating violence in the area [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
Turmus Ayya, home to roughly 3,000 residents of whom about 80% are Palestinian Americans, has been repeatedly targeted by violent Israeli settlers who harass residents, damage homes, and carry out attacks [1, 2, 4, 7]. The town's residents say they are unable to stop militant settlers from entering and vandalizing property [1, 2, 7]. Nawwaf Zaghoul, mayor of Turmus Ayya, said, "Local residents have been under constant attacks from settlers. We will ask the ambassador to help secure our safety and security" [1]. Resident Sameer Hazama said they hope Huckabee "will do something for us regarding these lawless settlers" [1].
The settler population in the West Bank numbers roughly 750,000 and has grown under the right-wing coalition government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which took office in late 2022 [1, 2, 4, 7]. According to the United Nations, settler violence against Palestinians has reached unprecedented levels with over 1,430 documented attacks as of early August 2026 [6]. Settler violence includes torching mosques, vandalism, graffiti, and physical assaults, yet Israeli settlers accused of such attacks are rarely prosecuted [1, 2, 4, 7].
Huckabee, a Baptist minister and long-time supporter of Israeli settlements, has publicly condemned violent settlers as "terrorists" and called their actions acts of terror. He said, "If there are squatters that come in and put up their own flags and take possession of something that does not belong to them... that’s a criminal act. But it extends beyond a criminal act. It’s an act of terror" [8]. He described attacks such as torching mosques and vandalizing homes as criminal acts amounting to terrorism [8, 9, 6]. He also remarked, "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" [5].
During his visit, Huckabee used the biblical term "Judea and Samaria" for the West Bank, a phrase commonly used by the Israeli government though not officially by the US government [1, 2, 7]. Settlers retaliated against Huckabee by painting graffiti referencing him as receiving sympathy from "terrorists" [8, 5, 9].
Huckabee also expressed concern that settler violence harms Israel's international image, noting, "It hurts the image of Israel as a country and as a people... Israel desperately needs every friend it can get and does not need more enemies" [9]. He has voiced Christian Zionist views supporting Israel's control over large areas from the Nile to the Euphrates [9, 6].
Since 2025, Huckabee has visited nearby settlements including Shiloh and Taybeh, condemning violence against Christian sites [1, 2, 7]. This visit to Turmus Ayya marks an effort to address rising settler attacks on Palestinians amid heightened regional tensions linked partly to the Gaza conflict and Hamas attacks in 2023 [8].
On September 4, 2026, just one day before his visit, Huckabee renewed his labeling of violent settlers as "terrorists," warning that their actions seriously damage Israel's image [9]. During the Turmus Ayya visit, he emphasized the Israeli government's responsibility to protect Palestinian civilians from settler violence [1, 2, 5, 6].
