Latest news with #settler violence
New York Times
11 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Huckabee Calls Death of Palestinian-American in West Bank ‘Terrorism'
The United States ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, on Tuesday called on the Israeli authorities to 'aggressively investigate' the death of a 20-year-old Palestinian-American citizen in a clash on Friday with Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, calling his killing a 'murder' and a 'criminal and terrorist act.' Mr. Huckabee, who has been vocal about his support for settlement in the occupied West Bank — which is widely viewed as illegal in the international community — used uncharacteristically strong language in his statement condemning the death of Sayfollah Musallet, a young Floridian who had been visiting his family in the area. 'There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act,' Mr. Huckabee said. The ambassador's demand comes amid a rise in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank during the war with Hamas in Gaza. Mr. Musallet was one of two Palestinian men who died in the violence near the northern West Bank town of Sinjil on Friday. The other, Mohammad Shalabi, 23, was shot during a confrontation between settlers and Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials, though it was not clear who had shot him as armed settlers and soldiers had both been present on the scene. The Israeli military has neither confirmed nor denied the two deaths, saying only that there had been a violent exchange between Palestinians and Israeli civilians near Sinjil, and that the domestic intelligence agency and police were looking into reported casualties. The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has confirmed Mr. Musallet's death, as well as his American citizenship. Exactly how Friday's clash unfolded is unclear. The Israeli military has said that confrontations began when Palestinians hurled stones at Israeli civilians, slightly injuring two Israelis. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Orthodox leaders demand Israel investigate settler violence near West Bank church
The most senior church leaders in Israel and the Palestinian territories gathered in the West Bank village of Taybeh on Monday to denounce rising settler violence against Palestinians and Palestinian property in the area. (AP video shot by Fernanda Pesce)
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Britain must hold Israel to account for settler violence in the West Bank
As the war in Gaza persists, the situation in the West Bank is in freefall, with increasing levels of settler violence and intimidation against Palestinians. Last week, the heads of churches in Taybeh, the last remaining Christian-majority town in the West Bank, spoke out against the series of systematic attacks by settlers on the town's land and holy sites, including St George's, its fifth-century church. As well as threatening the town's security and livelihood, these attacks undermine the dignity of its Christian residents and threaten their historical and religious heritage. Residents fear expulsion from their land and homes. This is part of a wider strategy of control and coercion rendering life unviable for Palestinians across the occupied territory. Successive Israeli governments have used settler violence as an informal tool to annex Palestinian land. The current Israeli government appears to support these violent settler acts through the military and police not intervening. As a rule, the military prefers to remove Palestinians from their land rather than confront settlers. Complaints are difficult to file. Few investigations are opened. Where indictments are made, it is for minor offences. Where convictions occur, the penalties are token. This culture of impunity rewards settler violence. There is no plausible deniability here – settlers aren't defying the state; they are doing its bidding. Settler violence is state violence by any other name. This situation must not continue. The UK government must stop its indecision and publish its legal response to last July's international court of justice advisory opinion that found Israel's presence in the occupied territory to be unlawful. It must intensify sanctions against individuals, illegal settler outposts and organisations that support violence against Palestinians in the occupied territory. But it also needs to hold the Israeli government to account by signalling its willingness to suspend the UK-Israel trade agreement. The UK government has a legal and moral duty to ensure Britain is taking all necessary steps to address settler violence, which threatens not just the peace of the region but the continued presence of Christians in this Holy Francis-Dehqani Bishop of Chelmsford, Rachel Treweek Bishop of Gloucester, Graham Usher Bishop of Norwich, Christopher Chessun Bishop of Southwark
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Bishops call on UK government to take action over settler violence in West Bank
Four senior Church of England bishops have called on the UK government to intensify the use of sanctions and to be willing to suspend its trade agreement with Israel over settler violence in the occupied West Bank. The situation there is 'in freefall with increasing levels of settler violence and intimidation against Palestinians,' the bishops say in a letter to the Guardian. The settlers are acting with impunity, they add. 'Settler violence is state violence by any other name.' The letter is signed by Guli Francis-Dehqani, the bishop of Chelmsford; Rachel Treweek, bishop of Gloucester; Graham Usher, bishop of Norwich; and Christopher Chessun, bishop of Southwark. All four sit in the House of Lords. It highlights the situation in Taybeh, the last remaining Christian-majority village in the West Bank, where there have been 'a series of systematic attacks by settlers on the town's land and holy sites, including St George's, its fifth-century church'. The letter says: 'As well as threatening the town's security and livelihood, these attacks undermine the dignity of its Christian residents and threaten their historical and religious heritage. Residents fear expulsion from their land and homes. This is part of a wider strategy of control and coercion rendering life unviable for Palestinians across the occupied territory.' According to church leaders in Taybeh, settlers have damaged olive trees and prevented Palestinian farmers from accessing their land. Illegal settlement outposts have expanded in the area under military protection, they say. On Friday, a Palestinian-American man was killed allegedly by Israeli settlers while visiting relatives in the West Bank. Sayfollah 'Saif' Musallet, 20, was reportedly beaten by settlers on his family's farm in an area near Ramallah. Another Palestinian man, Razek Hussein al-Shalabi, 23, was fatally shot during the attack and was left to bleed to death, the Palestinian health ministry said. Two weeks earlier, more than 100 settlers rampaged through the village of Kafr Malik, near Ramallah, killing three men and injuring several more people. The Israeli military has been accused by rights groups of standing by or even helping as settlers raid Palestinian villages, where they vandalise property and attack residents. Arrests of settlers are rare. The bishops call on the UK government to take action in the form of sanctions against individuals, illegal settler outposts and organisations that support violence, and by suspending the UK-Israel trade agreement. 'The UK government has a legal and moral duty to ensure Britain is taking all necessary steps to address settler violence, which threatens not just the peace of the region but the continued presence of Christians in this Holy Land,' they say. At the C of E's ruling body, the General Synod, which is meeting in York this weekend, the Rt Rev David Innes, the bishop responsible for Europe, expressed 'disappointment' that there was no debate scheduled on events in Gaza and the West Bank. There was deep concern and horror about what was happening in the West Bank and Gaza, he told representatives, and appealed for time to 'be given to this appalling international situation'. Hosam Naoum, the archbishop of Jerusalem, was due to address the synod on Sunday but was unable to do so due to ill health.
