West Bank safety is Israel's responsibility, US envoy says

US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Saturday that Israel's government is responsible for the safety of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and should impose “severe consequences” over violence.

Huckabee spoke during a visit to Turmus Ayya, a West Bank town where many residents hold US citizenship, after a surge in attacks by Israeli settlers. He met Palestinian-Americans at the home of Samir Hazmeh, who said settlers had smashed the house's windows twice and had tried to open its gates and burn it down.

“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 that happens,” Huckabee said.

He stopped short of criticising Israel by name. “Our clear message is that crime is crime, terror is terror,” he said. “When people do it they should have an expectation that they will have severe consequences.”

Yasser Alqam, another resident who met the ambassador, said he could not return to land about 100 metres away after several attacks by settlers. His wife, Jinan Alqam, said she hoped Huckabee could help provide protection so residents could reach their land and pick olives in the coming season.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian residents has persisted for years, often with little or no legal consequence, and recent months have seen a surge in attacks ahead of October 27 elections.

More than 500,000 Israelis live in the West Bank among about three million Palestinians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has been increasing approval of new settlements, which are illegal under international law.

Huckabee said action against settler violence was in Israel's interest because Israel already faces growing international criticism over its offensive in Gaza after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack. He described violent settlers as a small minority, saying there may be “a few hundred who are responsible, but that's a few hundred too many.”

Huckabee also denied that Israel was planning to force Palestinians out of Gaza, after Israeli ministers spoke of a plan to expel the territory's two million people.