US Ambassador defends Israeli settlers
Amid growing concerns within Israel’s security establishment over a potential escalation in the West Bank, the naval commando unit Shayetet 13 has begun operations in the Judea Brigade area, targeting high-value objectives and hotspots witnessing violent clashes, according to the Hebrew-language website Walla.
A security source commented on the matter, stating that Shayetet 13 is participating in the military effort in the West Bank, and noted that all special forces units are expected to take part in operations to thwart what he described as “terrorism” in the region. He added: “This is an extremely sensitive period, with a high likelihood of escalation.”
Two days earlier, the military had warned that friction incidents and clashes between Israelis and Palestinians across the West Bank could ignite the situation.
Following a series of security assessments and analysis of the field situation—amid warnings and incitement, as well as a rise in “national crime” incidents and friction between Israelis and Palestinians—the military described the situation as “volatile,” warning that it could slip into escalation at any moment.
Accordingly, it was decided to reinforce troop deployments around settlements and along main axes, bringing the total number of battalions within the Central Command’s area of responsibility to 26. It was also decided to add nine combat companies to strengthen field control and raise readiness levels to handle various types of sudden incidents.
In a separate development, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee appeared in an extended interview with the Hebrew-language newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, defending settlers in the West Bank.
Huckabee declined to disclose U.S. President Donald Trump’s reaction after he sent him a video he himself had filmed of settlers entering the village of Tarmseiyah, where he was present.
He said he was surprised to see settlers encroaching on a Palestinian family’s property while his security team was present and in view of the media.
He added: “It was disturbing. I was shocked by their brazen behavior... People have the right to protect their own property, but they do not have the right to encroach on others’ property, let alone intimidate or frighten people simply by their presence there.”
He continued: “I have never attributed these actions to settlers as a whole... In fact, I say they are not settlers, but rather destabilizers. Many of those who do this do not live in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), but reside outside the area.”
According to him, approximately 99.9 percent of settlers are “highly responsible... They have built beautiful communities, hospitals, clinics, schools, synagogues, and stores. Whether it is Ma’ale Adumim, Efrat, or other communities, they are simply wonderful places where people live and wish to raise their families.”
Huckabee criticized international media for describing everything happening in the West Bank as extremist settler violence. He said: “This is inaccurate, unfair, and damages the reputation of local residents.”
Regarding attacks targeting Palestinians holding U.S. citizenship in the West Bank, he stated that the United States is not authorized to conduct investigations, but it is trying to exert influence and demand investigations, seeking tangible results rather than investigations alone.
