US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has again described attacks by illegal Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank as acts of “terrorism,” warning that the violence is damaging Israel’s standing around the world.
Speaking to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN on Friday, Huckabee said illegal settler attacks against Palestinians and their property were harming Israel’s reputation, including among political allies in the United States.
“It hurts the image of Israel as a country and as a people,” Huckabee said, adding that Israel “desperately needs every friend it can get” and does not need more enemies.
‘Greetings from the terrorists’
Huckabee’s comments came after he previously labelled illegal settlers who besieged residents of the northern occupied West Bank town of Qusra as “Israeli terrorists.”
Following those remarks, illegal settlers last week attempted to set fire to a mosque in Bazariya in Nablus Governorate and sprayed racist graffiti at the site, including a message reading: “Huckabee, greetings from the terrorists.”
Huckabee said he was not personally bothered by the graffiti but called the incident serious because of the broader damage such attacks can inflict on Israel’s image.
He said the impact could be particularly significant among Republicans in the US, warning that young Americans could come to associate Israel primarily with such incidents.
Huckabee’s views remain firmly pro-settlement
Despite his criticism of illegal settler violence, Huckabee has long expressed strong Christian Zionist views and has previously argued that Israel has the “right” to occupy large areas stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates.
He has also visited illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and has claimed that the presence of settlers there is “legal,” a position at odds with the prevailing position of the United Nations and international law.
The UN considers the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, occupied Palestinian territory and regards Israeli settlements there as illegal under international law.
Violence against Palestinians and their property in the West Bank has escalated since Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023. Palestinian figures estimate that roughly 750,000 illegal settlers live in 156 settlements and 360 outposts across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Huckabee weighs in on Iran
Huckabee also addressed the US-Israel war on Iran, saying Tehran's military and economic position is “very weak” while warning that its future actions are difficult to predict.
He rejected suggestions that US President Donald Trump had set aside the Iranian nuclear issue and was focusing solely on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Huckabee said Trump had not indicated he was prepared to ignore what Washington considers Iran’s longstanding threat against the US.
The remarks come after the US and Israel launched a war on Iran on February 28, triggering Iranian attacks on US and Israeli targets across the region and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy supplies.
A ceasefire later halted the fighting, while a June 18 memorandum between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending hostilities and reopening the waterway subsequently stalled over disputes surrounding implementation and security.
