(The Epoch Times)—U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called for “harsh consequences” following recent acts of arson and vandalism in the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh, in the contested West Bank.
“Taybeh is a quiet Palestinian Christian village south of Jerusalem [with] a lot of American citizens that has been vandalized-including fires set at ancient church,” Huckabee wrote in a post on X on July 19, following a visit to the West Bank community.
In a separate set of remarks to the Taybeh community, Huckabee condemned the vandalism targeting their places of worship, saying it “is an act of terror, and it is a crime.”
“There should be consequences, and it should be harsh consequences because it is one of the last bastions of our civilization, the places where we worship,” he added.
Huckabee said those found to have carried out attacks on Taybeh or other communities should be found and prosecuted.
In a July 14 statement, the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem condemned a July 7 attack in which suspects set fire to the local cemetery and the Church of Saint George. The council attributed the attack to “radical Israelis from nearby settlements.”
The Epoch Times could not independently verify the details surrounding the July 7 incident in Taybeh.
Israel’s government has not commented on the incident, but has previously denounced such acts.
Huckabee’s decision to visit Taybeh and condemn attacks targeting the community came just days after he called on the Israeli government to investigate the death of 20-year-old Saif Musallet, born in Florida of Palestinian descent.
Musallet’s family alleged he was severely beaten during an altercation in the West Bank community of Sinjil, and then blocked from being evacuated to an ambulance for multiple hours, leading to his death before he could reach a hospital.
“I have asked [Israel] to aggressively investigate the murder of Saif Mussallet, an American citizen who was visiting family in Sinjil when he was beaten to death. There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act,” Huckabee said in a July 15 X post.
The West Bank has been under varying degrees of Israeli military and civil administration ever since Israeli forces took control of the land during the 1967 Six-Day War.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank have been an ongoing point of contention in the long-running Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, has consistently cast himself as a staunch supporter of Israel. During his Senate confirmation hearing in March, he acknowledged his past statements supporting the outright Israeli annexation of the West Bank, though he said it “would not be my prerogative to make that the policy of the president.”
President Donald Trump has also shown support for Israeli settlers in the West Bank. In his first day in office, Trump rescinded Biden-era sanctions targeting Israeli settlers accused of fomenting violence and intimidation against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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