Mike Huckabee denounces ‘Israeli terrorists’ besieging Palestinian village

(LifeSiteNews) — Violent religious Zionist “settlers” have continued their multi-day blockade of Palestinian homes in the West Bank village of Qusra even after U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee notably denounced the perpetrators as “Israeli terrorists” involved in “thuggish” and “criminal” behavior.

The siege, which began on Sunday, has left families cut off from water, electricity, and steady supplies while Israeli forces have declined to fully disperse the group.

Palestinian Christian activist Ihab Hassan highlighted the situation early on, noting that settlers had surrounded the home of an American citizen for consecutive days and left the family trapped.

“For five consecutive days, Israeli settler terrorists are surrounding the home of an American citizen in the Palestinian village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank, leaving the family trapped inside their own home,” Hassan wrote on Wednesday. He questioned the lack of visible public pressure from the U.S. embassy or Ambassador Huckabee at the time, asking whether an American passport carried less weight when held by a Palestinian.

Hassan later reported White House interest in seeking answers from Israel. Huckabee responded to the human rights activist rejecting claims of inaction or sudden intervention, stating that the embassy “has been VERY involved & the IDF & Israel Police have gone at our request to remove the Israeli terrorists doing this.”

He described the settlers’ conduct as “criminal” and a “horrific act of terror meant to intimidate and harass this family,” adding that it was “disgusting” with “no excuse for such thuggish behavior.” Huckabee insisted that suggestions the embassy did not care were “simply untrue.”

In reply, Hassan welcomed the recognition these are “Israeli terrorists” but pointed out that the army had “failed to remove those terrorists, and the family remains trapped inside their own home. That means the army is not doing its job.”

He cited the family’s own account indicating the American embassy had not been helpful as they were told by Huckabee’s staff they lacked authority and these besieged families should turn to Israeli or Palestinian officials for help instead. Hassan stressed that “this is not the first time settler terrorists have attacked American citizens” explaining a previous case where the American citizen was killed, “and his family publicly said the U.S. Embassy failed them too.”

“So yes, Americans are being attacked by Israeli settler terrorists, families are asking their government for help, and they have every right to demand that their government do more to protect them,” he concluded.

Mr. Ambassador, I’m glad you called them what they are: Israeli terrorists.

But the Israeli army failed to remove those terrorists, and the family remains trapped inside their own home. That means the army is not doing its job.

As for the U.S. Embassy, the claim that it has… https://t.co/C2BN0H415Y

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) August 13, 2026

‘Soldiers arrive, embrace settlers,’ become ‘part of the danger’

One of the targeted homes belongs to Loui (Luay) Abu Ridi, a Palestinian-American based in Ohio. He has monitored events in real time through security cameras that have recorded the Jewish terrorist siege upon his land. According to Times of Israel, he “watched in horror” as his cameras “captured Israeli soldiers fraternizing with the settlers blockading his relatives,” including his brother Qusai and 18-year-old nephew.

As cited by Hassan, correspondent Hila Touf reported that the government and army appeared to take little effective action against the settlers; soldiers who arrived instead joined them and provided no help to those needing food or medical care. Touf noted that Abu Ridi, watching from roughly 10,000 kilometers away, sat before the cameras as his brother and nephew waited inside for assistance.

Abu Ridi explained that he purchased the land years earlier and has invested about $1 million in the still-unfinished house. “I bought (the house) so my daughters could be part of my family’s history. That is my primary desire—to connect my childhood to my identity,” he said, adding that he secured all required Palestinian Authority permits and holds documents affirming his ownership and building rights.

‘These settlers are monsters. This is real terrorism.’

When he contacted the U.S. embassy for assistance, officials provided the standard reply, claiming they had no authority on the ground and directed him to contact Israeli or Palestinian authorities.

Abu Ridi described the experience as deeply distressing: “It’s an extremely harrowing experience. I’ve been glued to the camera for three days. We talk every few hours. There are moments when I see the settlers approaching the house, and I watch my brother and his son’s reactions. It’s a nightmare. These settlers are monsters. This is real terrorism.”

The Palestinian-American recounted how his brother called for police help only to see soldiers arrive in a white truck and embrace the settlers, becoming “part of the danger” rather than a source of protection. He argued that the settler terrorists act with Israeli government backing, insisted the village lies in Area B under Palestinian Authority jurisdiction, and said there is no justification for the harassment. “We are people who believe in the principle of ‘live and let live,’” he stated, adding that he planned to travel to Qusra to be closer to his brother.

By Thursday, Times of Israel correspondent Nurit Yohanan confirmed the Israeli terrorists remained in position outside the houses despite earlier reports of a brief evacuation. Israeli forces had demolished some makeshift structures and nearby outposts and sent reinforcements, yet the blockade presence has remained.

יום חמישי ברציפות בקוסרה. המתנחלים עדיין מול הבתים למי שתהה. (לפי עדות מוקדמת יותר פונו לכמה דקות אך לפי התיעוד הם שם כרגע) pic.twitter.com/KFHwFBjBa2

— Nurit Yohanan (@nurityohanan) August 13, 2026

Reports claimed the United States was privately frustrated with Israel over what officials described as “anarchy” and unchecked settler violence in the West Bank, with particular attention on the Qusra case. Parallel coverage has documented similar pressures on Palestinian-American communities in villages such as Turmus Ayya, where large numbers of residents hold U.S. citizenship and charged their embassy with abandoning them amid repeated attacks.

U.S. senator calls for Huckabee’s resignation

Prior to Huckabee’s strong Wednesday night statement on X, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) called for his resignation on broader grounds in a Monday video clip. The senior senator from Maryland argued that an ambassador’s duty is to defend American interests and that Huckabee “has failed to do that” and “become an apologist for the extremist government in Israel.”

Van Hollen recalled earlier remarks by the ambassador in a viral interview with Tucker Carlson when he said “it would be fine” if Israel not only expanded “Greater Israel” across Palestine, but also took over large sections of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, igniting a diplomatic firestorm.

The senator further contended that, notwithstanding the ambassador’s expressed concern for Christian communities, Huckabee has failed to safeguard Christians in the Holy Land.

“By his own standard, he has completely failed in that mission. We’ve seen an increase in violent settler attacks on Christian villages in the West Bank, and we’ve seen those attacks conducted with impunity,” he lamented.

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