US President Donald Trump’s administration avoids condemning this week’s settler killing of a Palestinian-American in the West Bank.
Asked for comment on 19-year-old Nasrallah Abu Siam’s killing in an armed settler attack on the central West Bank Palestinian village of Mukhmas, a US State Department spokesperson asserts the administration “has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans.”
”We are aware of the death of an American citizen in the West Bank,” the spokesperson continues. “We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide consular assistance.”
“Out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones during this difficult time, we have no further comment at this time,” the statement adds.
The Trump administration has largely avoided commenting on settler violence in the West Bank.
The rare exceptions have been some of the incidents involving US citizens, though that does not appear to be the case this time.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
