US Envoy Denounces Settler Violence in West Bank Town

Ambassador Huckabee Vows Justice for Attacks on Christian Community

U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, visited the Christian Palestinian village of Taybeh in the West Bank on Saturday, a community recently targeted by extremist Israeli settlers. Huckabee unequivocally condemned the acts of violence and demanded accountability for those responsible.

Sacrilege Against Holy Places

The Ambassador stressed the unacceptability of desecrating any place of worship. “One thing that we strongly agree on is that any desecration to a holy place – it doesn’t matter whether it’s a church, a mosque, or a synagogue – it’s unacceptable,” **Huckabee** stated.

“To commit an act of sacrilege by desecrating a place that is supposed to be a place of worship, it is an act of terror, and it is a crime. There should be consequences, and it should be harsh consequences because it is one of the last bastions of our civilization, the places where we worship.”

—Mike Huckabee, U.S. Ambassador to Israel

He emphasized his personal commitment to respecting all faiths and condemned such acts as a betrayal of fundamental civility. “People need to pay a price for doing something that destroys that which belongs, not just to other people, but that which belongs to God. That is a sacrilege. It’s against the Holy.”

Solidarity and Demand for Justice

Taybeh has seen a disturbing increase in harassment and assaults by Jewish religious extremists, including an alleged arson attempt near the ancient Church of St. George. **Huckabee** conveyed solidarity with the residents who seek only peace and the right to worship freely.

“I have a lot of our staff here from the Embassy who are with me today, and we come to express solidarity with the people who just want to live their lives in peace, be able to go to their own land, be able to go to their place of worship,” **Huckabee** said. “This is a Christian community, largely, and it’s one that deserves respect and deserves to be treated with dignity. Nothing short of that.”

The U.S. Embassy staff gathered detailed information about the specific incidents, moving beyond generalities to understand the precise nature of the attacks.

The recent attacks align with a broader trend documented by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which reported 296 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank in the first three months of 2024, resulting in casualties and property damage (OCHA, March 2024).