Huckabee calls Israeli settler violence in West Bank an ‘act of terror’

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Wednesday called Israeli settler violence in the West Bank an “act of terror,” condemning their actions.

Huckabee said his visit was for the U.S. citizens “who live in Turmusayya and other communities across this region” who are “disturbed by people who have created extraordinary challenges that are unfair and illegal.”

While acknowledging that he’s been “criticized a little bit for calling that terror,” he defended his statements as fitting the definition of terrorism in remarks at Turmusayya Town Hall , labeling these settlers as a “band of terrorists” engaged in “criminal activity.”

“It’s important that we continue to put the pressure to say letting a few people do these horrible activities of criminal nature is detrimental…to everyone, Israeli, Palestinian alike,” he said.

This isn’t the first time Huckabee has violent Israeli settlers as “terrorists.” In August , he condemned settlers for besieging a Palestinian village and the home of a Palestinian American in the West Bank town of Qusra.

Huckabee said that the settlers burned a mosque and graffitied, “Huckabee, this is from the terrorist” on a wall in the village.

Huckabee’s continued remarks are an unusually strong response from the Trump administration related to Israeli settlers as President Trump previously dropped sanctions against violent Israeli settlers imposed by the Biden administration .

“I’m glad they admitted it,” Huckabee said Saturday about the message’s labeling. “I don’t think that’s what they intended to do, but I do think that they represent a very tiny minority.”

The State Department similarly condemned the violence, with a spokesperson saying last week that the department remains in line with the Trump administration’s goal to achieve peace in the region.