Huckabee denounces settler violence as ‘terrorism,’ but says it’s not representative
US ambassador also notes Israeli condemnations of string of attacks, as more incidents and arrests take place
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee roundly condemned the latest spate of violence by Israeli extremists against Palestinians in the West Bank, branding it “terrorism” and calling for “equal justice” and harsh consequences for all acts of terror whether carried out by Palestinians or Israelis.
In an interview that aired Wednesday night in the US, Huckabee also told NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas Reports that the perpetrators were small in number and not representative of Israeli settlers more broadly, and that Israel is dealing with the issue.
“I think there is an escalation,” he said regarding the attacks, calling them “acts of terrorism” and adding, “Let’s just be blunt, that’s what it is.”
Huckabee made the comments amid a rash of violence by Israeli extremists against West Bank Palestinians. Many of the attacks have targeted the West Bank’s olive harvest, and groups of assailants recently torched a mosque and, separately, carried out a string of arson attacks, among other acts of harassment.
According to United Nations figures, October saw the most attacks of this sort since at least 2006.
“Israelis can carry out terrorism as well,” Huckabee said. “But most of these people are not actual settlers who live there — there may be some, but this is a very small number, mostly of youth, angry and disaffected. These are thugs.”
On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel “will take very forceful action against the riots” targeting IDF soldiers and Palestinians. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the attacks “cross a red line and divert the attention of our forces from fulfilling their mission.”
So far, the Israel Police has done little to enforce the law against Jewish attackers, with few arrests and even fewer charges brought against perpetrators. There have been a handful of arrests in recent days following a spate of attacks involving well over 100 Israeli extremists, but no indictments have been filed, and many of the suspects have been released.
Huckabee used strong language to condemn the attackers, while discussing them in the context of Palestinian terror attacks against Israelis. He noted this week’s terror attack in the West Bank’s Gush Etzion Junction, which killed an Israeli man.
“It is a very tense time; we don’t want to pretend that it isn’t,” he said on NewsNation. “But there has been every attempt on the part… even of the Israelis to say that those who are committing acts of terror, even if they’re Israelis, they’re going to feel the full force of the law, and Elizabeth, they should.”
He continued, “The only way to bring some settlement is to have equal justice. “Crime is crime, terrorism is terrorism, it doesn’t matter who does it, they have to be consequenced — and harshly.”
On Wednesday night, police arrested a pair of teenage settlers suspected of attacking a Bedouin community near the Palestinian village of Mukhmas. The minors were allegedly two of six masked attackers who pepper-sprayed residents and left-wing Israeli activists. They also damaged one of the activists’ cars, puncturing the vehicle’s tires and breaking its windows, according to police.
Officers who arrived at the scene spotted the two while conducting searches near the access road to the Bedouin village, and nabbed them before they could flee. The suspects were found in possession of pepper spray and balaclavas. Police were continuing to search for additional suspects in the attack.
BREAKING: Israeli settler terrorists are attacking the Christian village of Taybeh in the West Bank again. They vandalized two cars and attacked a residential building, terrorizing its residents. pic.twitter.com/vhlMpcHhWv
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) November 19, 2025
Meanwhile, attacks continue to occur. Late Wednesday night, settlers were filmed slashing the tires of vehicles and hurling stones through shop windows in the Christian Palestinian town of Taybeh in the central West Bank.
Previous attacks on Taybeh have caught Huckabee’s attention, as he is an ordained pastor. He visited the town in July and called for those targeting it to be prosecuted. No indictments were filed.
The latest attack in Taybeh was caught on a security camera, while a separate incident involving the theft of construction equipment in the nearby village of Turmus Ayya, which has a large population of Palestinian Americans, was reported by the Palestinian Authority’s official Wafa news site.
Lazar Berman contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.