U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned recent attacks on a Christian village and its historic church in the West Bank, calling them “a crime against humanity and God.” His statement came after visiting the site of the arson and ongoing harassment.
Huckabee travelled Saturday to Taybeh, a Christian Palestinian town that residents say has endured a wave of assaults by Israeli settlers in recent weeks, according to The Times of Israel. The attacks include a fire set near the ruins of the Church of St. George, which church leaders described as among the most severe incidents to date.
Huckabee, a longtime Evangelical supporter of Israel, said during his visit that the desecration of religious sites represented “an act of terror” and that such actions should carry “harsh consequences.”
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He posted later that day on X, saying he had met with residents in Taybeh “to listen and learn” and that any attack on a house of worship, whether a church, mosque or synagogue, was a crime not only against people but against God.
In remarks issued as part of a formal statement from the U.S. Embassy, Huckabee said, “To commit an act of sacrilege by desecrating a place that is supposed to be a place of worship, it is an act of terror, and it is a crime. There should be consequences, and it should be harsh consequences because it is one of the last bastions of our civilization, the places where we worship.”
He added that such violence “is against the Holy” and insisted that those responsible “be found and be prosecuted,” not merely reprimanded. Addressing the village’s predominantly Christian residents, Huckabee said they deserved “respect” and the right to “live their lives in peace.”
The attacks in Taybeh form part of what local church leaders describe as a pattern of escalating settler violence, including harassment and property damage. Church officials who visited the town earlier in the week alleged that Israeli authorities have allowed the intimidation to continue unchecked.
Huckabee said he represents “all American citizens” living in Israel, including Christians, Muslims and Jews, adding that he would hold accountable “those responsible” when any are “terrorized or victims of crime.”
Last week, settlers allegedly beat to death two Palestinians near Sinjil, including Saif Musallet, a Palestinian-American. Israeli officials have made no public statement on the killings, and the government has yet to condemn the Taybeh attacks.
Separately, the U.S. government has expressed concern to Israel over delays in granting visas to Evangelical Christian tourists. Huckabee had recently warned that failure to issue those visas could lead him to publicly question whether Christian groups were still welcome in Israel.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement Thursday expressing regret for an Israeli tank strike that killed three civilians inside Gaza’s only Catholic church. The apology followed a phone call from President Trump, who reportedly demanded an explanation for the attack.
