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Gulf Today
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Attack on West Bank church was ‘act of terror,' says US envoy
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called on Saturday for the perpetrators of an attack on a Palestinian church in the occupied West Bank blamed on Israeli settlers to be prosecuted, calling it an 'act of terror.' Huckabee said he had visited the Christian town of Taybeh, where clerics said Israeli settlers had started a fire near a cemetery and a 5th-century church on July 8. 'It is an act of terror, and it is a crime,' Huckabee said in a statement, 'Those who carry out acts of terror and violence in Taybeh — or anywhere — (should) be found and be prosecuted. Not just reprimanded, that's not enough.' Israel's government has not commented on the incident, but has previously denounced such acts. On Tuesday, Huckabee said he had asked Israel to 'aggressively investigate' the killing of a Palestinian American beaten by settlers in the West Bank, similarly describing it as a 'criminal and terrorist act.' Huckabee is a staunch supporter of Israeli settlements and his comments are a rare and pointed public intervention by the administration of US President Donald Trump. Mike Huckabee, right, is received by Priest of the Greek Orthodox Church in Taybeh, upon his arrival in the West Bank town of Taybeh. AP In early July, the village of Taybeh was hit by an arson attack in the area of the ruins of the Byzantine-era Church of Saint George, which dates back to the fifth century. Residents blamed settlers for the assault, which comes as violence soars in the West Bank and last week saw an American-Palestinian man killed near Ramallah. Huckabee, an evangelical Christian and staunch advocate for Israel, said his trip to Taybeh aimed to 'express solidarity with the people who just want to live their lives in peace, to be able to go to their own land, to be able to go to their place of worship.' 'It doesn't matter whether it's a mosque, a church, a synagogue,' he told journalists. 'It's unacceptable to commit an act of sacrilege by desecrating a place that is supposed to be a place of worship.' 'We will certainly insist that those who carry out acts of terror and violence in Taybeh or anywhere be found, be prosecuted, not just reprimanded. That's not enough,' he said. 'People need to pay a price for doing something that destroys that which belongs not just to other people, but that which belongs to God.' Trump in January rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Agencies
L'Orient-Le Jour
19-07-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
US envoy urges accountability for church attack in West Bank village
The U.S. ambassador to Israel on Saturday visited a Christian village in the occupied West Bank and urged accountability for an attack on an ancient church, which residents have blamed on Israeli settlers. In early July, the village of Taybeh was hit by an arson attack in the area of the ruins of the Byzantine-era Church of Saint George, which dates back to the fifth century. Residents blamed settlers for the assault, which comes as violence soars in the West Bank, and last week saw an American-Palestinian man killed near Ramallah. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, an evangelical Christian and staunch advocate for Israel, said his trip to Taybeh aimed to "express solidarity with the people who just want to live their lives in peace, to be able to go to their own land, to be able to go to their place of worship." "It doesn't matter whether it's a mosque, a church, a synagogue," he told journalists. "It's unacceptable to commit an act of sacrilege by desecrating a place that is supposed to be a place of worship." "We will certainly insist that those who carry out acts of terror and violence in Taybeh or anywhere be found, be prosecuted, not just reprimanded. That's not enough," he said. "People need to pay a price for doing something that destroys that which belongs not just to other people, but that which belongs to God." In the villages and communities around Taybeh, Palestinian authorities reported that settlers had killed three people and damaged or destroyed multiple water sources in the past two weeks alone. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, and violence has surged in the territory since the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023, triggered the Gaza war. Since then, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 957 Palestinians, including many militants, in the West Bank, according to health ministry figures. Over the same period, at least 36 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to official figures. Huckabee, who has for years been an outspoken supporter of Jewish settlement in the Palestinian territories, on Tuesday demanded an aggressive investigation and consequences after settlers beat to death a Palestinian-American in the West Bank. It was a sign of rare public pressure against U.S. ally Israel by President Donald Trump's administration.
Al-Ahram Weekly
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
US envoy Huckabee calls for accountability after Israeli settlers attack church in West Bank village - War on Gaza
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday visited a Christian village in the occupied West Bank and urged accountability for an arson attack by Israeli settlers on an ancient church. In early July, Israeli settlers carried out an arson attack on the village of Taybeh in the area of the ruins of the Byzantine-era Church of Saint George, which dates back to the fifth century. The attack came as violence against Palestinians soars in the West Bank, and last week saw an American-Palestinian killed by Israeli settlers near Ramallah. Ambassador Huckabee, an evangelical Christian and staunch advocate for Israel, said his trip to Taybeh aimed to "express solidarity with the people who just want to live their lives in peace, to be able to go to their own land, to be able to go to their place of worship". "It doesn't matter whether it's a mosque, a church, a synagogue," he told journalists. "It's unacceptable to commit an act of sacrilege by desecrating a place that is supposed to be a place of worship." "We will certainly insist that those who carry out acts of terror and violence in Taybeh or anywhere be found, be prosecuted, not just reprimanded. That's not enough," he said. "People need to pay a price for doing something that destroys that which belongs not just to other people, but that which belongs to God." The rare condemnation came days after an Israeli air strike targeted the Holy Family Church in northern Gaza, killing two people and wounding several others, including a parish priest, Gaza civil defence, and church officials said on Thursday. In the villages and communities around Taybeh, Palestinian authorities reported that settlers had killed three people and damaged or destroyed multiple water sources in the past two weeks alone. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, and violence has surged in the territory since Israel's war on the Gaza Strip began in October 2023. Since then, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 957 Palestinians, including civilians, in the West Bank, according to health ministry figures. Over the same period, at least 36 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to official figures. Huckabee, a longtime outspoken supporter of Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories -- considered illegal under international law -- on Tuesday demanded an aggressive investigation and accountability after Israeli settlers beat a Palestinian-American to death in the West Bank. It was a sign of rare public pressure against US ally Israel by President Donald Trump's administration. *This story was edited by Ahram Online. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
