US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee warned radical Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank against seizing property from Palestinian Americans, calling such behavior a “violation of God’s law.” Huckabee, a Baptist minister and longtime supporter of Israeli settlements, told Reuters in an interview on August 20 in Jerusalem that settlers who participated in the siege of homes in the village of Kusra, including the house of Palestinian American Louis Ridi, could face US sanctions.
Settlers began surrounding homes in Kusra on August 9. Human‑rights groups said this appeared to be an attempt to take private Palestinian land. The incident drew international condemnation. The Israeli military deployed dozens of soldiers to the area and has since pushed the settlers away from the homes. Nevertheless, they remain nearby, and residents such as Ridi fear a renewed encroachment after the troops withdraw.
When asked about the message from the administration of US President Donald Trump to settlers considering seizure of homes or land in the West Bank belonging to Palestinian Americans, Huckabee, who last week called the perpetrators “Israeli terrorists,” cited Jewish and Christian scriptures. “I think this is a message bigger than just a message from the Trump administration. It’s a message about basic civility and civilized behavior,” he told Reuters. “You don’t take what doesn’t belong to you.”
“Do not steal,” Huckabee to settlers
Referring to the Ten Commandments, Huckabee said: “Do not steal.” He added that people should not take or “covet”—that is, desire—what belongs to others. “If someone owns land and has a home, and another person comes and seizes it, forcing the family to leave out of fear, that violates not only human law but also God’s law,” he said, noting his former role as Republican governor of Arkansas.
US officials estimate that tens of thousands of Palestinian Americans live in the West Bank, many in a cluster of villages between Ramallah and Nablus, where Kusra is located. Louis Ridi, speaking to Reuters from his home in Kusra on Thursday, said he is in contact with Huckabee’s staff at the US Embassy in Jerusalem, but Israeli settlers continue to harass him near his house.
Attitude towards settlements and international reaction
Huckabee became the first evangelical Christian to serve as US ambassador to Israel. He has long supported Israeli settlements in the West Bank and refers to the territory by its biblical name—Judea and Samaria. That term is used by the Israeli government but not by the US government. Defending the settlements overall, he said radical settlers are a minority and do not represent the entire settler community, which he described as “just wanting to peacefully raise their families in Judea and Samaria with a certain level of security.”
Palestinians and their supporters reject this view, arguing that the settlements occupy land intended for a future independent state. UN bodies and most countries consider Israeli settlements illegal under international law; Israel disputes this. The ambassador said the US is “outraged” by what happened in Kusra. He described the Palestinian families targeted by settlers as victims of “unjustified and despicable” criminal activity and said those responsible should face significant consequences in Israel.
Huckabee also noted that anyone involved could face US sanctions, including a travel ban, although he was unsure whether such measures are currently being considered. Israeli police have not announced any arrests or charges, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not publicly commented on the incident. At the same time, a high‑ranking settler leader condemned the actions.
Source: Reuters
