Latest news with #Huckabee
Deccan Herald
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
US says attack on West Bank Palestinian church was 'act of terror'
U.S. 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 U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump in January rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in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. Settler attacks on Palestinians and Palestinian attacks on Israelis in the West Bank have risen since the start of Israel's war on the Hamas militant group in Gaza in October 2023, though violence has long simmered there. The United Nations' highest court said last year that Israel's settlements in territories it captured in the 1967 Middle East war, including the West Bank, were illegal.
Al-Ahram Weekly
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Top Palestinian official meets US ambassador to Israel in Ramallah - Region
Hussein al-Sheikh, vice-president of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), on Tuesday said he met the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, in the occupied West Bank. Sheikh, a close aide to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, said the meeting took place in his office. The meeting was Huckabee's first official visit to Ramallah, which is home to key Palestinian Authority institutions. "Discussions were held regarding support for efforts to stop the war in the Gaza Strip, release the hostages and deliver urgent aid to the Palestinian people there," he wrote on X. "The current situation in the West Bank was also discussed, including the severe economic and financial crisis and settler violence. "Ways to strengthen bilateral relations were explored, as well as the importance of the American role in achieving stability, security, and peace in the region." I met with the United States Ambassador, Mr. Huckabee, today at my office in Ramallah. @GovMikeHuckabee Discussions were held regarding support for efforts to stop the war in the Gaza Strip, release the hostages, and deliver urgent aid to the Palestinian people there. The… — حسين الشيخ Hussein Al Sheikh (@HusseinSheikhpl) July 22, 2025 Sheikh, a veteran of Abbas's Fatah party, was appointed as vice-president of the PLO leadership in April, a newly created position. Founded in 1964, the PLO is empowered to negotiate and sign international treaties on behalf of the Palestinian people, while the Palestinian Authority is responsible for governance in parts of the Palestinian territories. Relations between the United States and the Palestinian Authority were strained during Donald Trump's first term as president, during which he moved the US embassy to Jerusalem and recognised it as Israel's capital, in a break with international consensus. Last Saturday, Huckabee visited Taybeh, a Christian village in the occupied West Bank, where he called for justice after an attack on a church blamed by locals on Israeli settlers. The ambassador is a leading figure on the conservative Christian right in the United States and is close to pro-settlement groups. Nevertheless, Huckabee urged Israel to "aggressively investigate the murder of Saif Mussallet", a Palestinian-American beaten to death by Israeli settlers, calling it "a criminal and terrorist act". Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Fox News
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
US ambassador Mike Huckabee visits historic church after alleged arson attack
Huckabee welcomed an Israeli police investigation into the fire that local church leaders blamed on Israeli settlers. Police have so far dismissed reports that settlers set fire to the archaeological site of the Church of Saint George. (Video: AP)
The Age
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Age
Penny Wong: Israel condemnation channels Australians' ‘distress' over Gaza
Asked about Huckabee's criticism of the statement, Wong told Sky News: 'President Trump has been a very strong advocate for a ceasefire and hostage deal, and so are we.' She noted that several other US allies had signed the statement. A group of about 15 pro-Palestine protesters were detained inside Parliament House on Tuesday afternoon following a larger protest where hundreds gathered on the lawns of Federation Mall outside the building. Police collected details from the protesters, who were shouting chants as Governor-General Sam Mostyn addressed the Senate, before removing them from the building. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke described Israel's behaviour in Gaza as 'indefensible' and called for 'the slaughter to end' in a stark escalation of the government's language on the conflict. 'We're all hoping that there'll be something that'll break this. We've seen too many images of children being killed, of horrific slaughter, of churches being bombed. The images that we've seen have been pretty clear that so much of this is indefensible,' Burke said on ABC News Breakfast on Tuesday. Loading 'None of this changes the fact that the hostages need to be released.' Israel's ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, attacked the joint statement, arguing it is 'disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas'. Opposition leader Sussan Ley said the return of hostages still held by Hamas was a priority. 'There are still hostages hidden in tunnels, and a way to end the situation is for those hostages to be released by the terrorists, Hamas, who control so much of the activity there,' Ley said. Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash called the statement 'disappointing', and said the 'Albanese government's decision to blame Israel for Hamas's disruption of the flow of aid is appalling'. Greens leader Larissa Waters called for the government to sanction the Netanyahu government. 'The Israel regime isn't listening to stern words,' she said. Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said ending the war unilaterally would fail to achieve the return of the remaining Israeli hostages or the surrender of Hamas. 'The Australian government, and international community, must come together to put maximum pressure on Hamas to surrender, and to ensure aid deliveries are not misused to embolden Hamas' grip on Gaza,' he said. Australia Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni called for extensive sanctions on Israel and an end to any military co-operation. 'The time for these statements has long passed,' he said. 'People are starving to death because Israel refuses to allow aid into the hellscape it has created in Gaza. Families are being bombed and gunned down while trying to access water.' The international community has criticised the replacement of established NGOs with the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. According to UN Human Rights Council figures published last week, almost 900 people were killed in Gaza while trying to get food, including 674 near aid delivery sites. Earlier on Monday, Israeli tanks pushed into southern and eastern districts of the Gazan city of Deir al-Balah, an area of Gaza that had been largely untouched by the conflict and where tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians had sought refuge. The incursion has led to speculation that Hamas is holding large numbers of hostages there. The statement from the 28 nations also called out soaring settler violence against Palestinians on the West Bank, and hit out against the Israeli proposal to build a 'humanitarian city' in Gaza, which former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert recently condemned as a 'concentration camp'. Loading 'Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law,' the joint statement said. In a fiery response posted on X, Israel's foreign ministry rejected the joint statement, saying it 'fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognise Hamas' role and responsibility for the situation'. The joint international statement reaffirmed the nations' support for those involved in brokering a ceasefire deal, including the US and Qatar.
Middle East Eye
a day ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
US ambassador to Israel says he has resolved visa issue for Evangelical Christians
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Monday that he has finally resolved a visa issue that led to hurdles for American Evangelical Christian groups coming to Israel. "Starting in January, a change in the manner which visas for Christian organizations had been processed for decades led to serious challenges bureaucratically and financially for the groups," Huckabee said in a statement posted to his X account. "Upon arriving in Israel as Ambassador, I learned that the changes in the process were creating delays, costs, and significant burdens with paperwork. After a meeting with the Minister of Interior, we thought the problem was settled but organizations continued to have issues. I informed the Prime Minister's Office of the problem and pointed out how detrimental it was to the relationship of the State of Israel with the American evangelical community," he explained. "The Christian organizations did not at any time ask for different or special treatment, but merely a return to what has been an efficient and satisfactory process for many years," Huckabee added. "Attorney Calev Myers, an Israeli attorney who represents some 150 Christian groups in Israel, was instrumental in outlining the request and the Prime Minister's Office was supportive and involved in the resolution along with the Minister of the Interior," he said. Evangelical Christians outnumber Jewish Americans in their staunch support for Israel in the US, and are represented by groups such as Christians United For Israel, among others, with influence on lawmakers in Washington.
