US Ambassador, Church Leaders, and Press Association Condemn Escalating West Bank Attacks
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, senior Christian clerics, and the Foreign Press Association (FPA) have condemned a series of violent incidents in the West Bank in recent weeks, including the killing of a Palestinian American, the torching of a Christian holy site, and assaults on journalists.
The most widely reported case involves 20-year-old Saif Musalat, a Palestinian American visiting family near Sinjil, who was allegedly beaten to death last Friday. His friend, Mohammed al-Shalabi, was later found nearby with a gunshot wound and signs of torture. Ambassador Huckabee urged the Israeli government to “aggressively investigate the murder,” calling it a “criminal and terrorist act.” He added, “There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act. Saif was just 20 years old.”
While Huckabee has historically supported Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank and refrained from criticizing Israeli settlers, the brutality of Musalat’s death prompted a rare public rebuke. In Washington, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the killing was “shocking and appalling” and denounced “the rise in violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank directed at Palestinian civilians” as “completely and totally unacceptable.” Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan noted that Musalat was the fifth American reportedly killed by settlers this year. “It’s hard to understand this lack of accountability by the Netanyahu government as anything other than tacit approval by the state,” she said.
No suspects have been charged with murder. Two Israeli minors were briefly detained and placed under house arrest. A Palestinian man arrested in the case was released after a military judge criticized investigators for failing to acknowledge that two people had died in the attack.
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The FPA issued a statement on July 15 condemning attacks on foreign media crews in Sinjil, including CNN and Germany’s Deutsche Welle. In both incidents, vehicles were damaged in daylight assaults. No arrests have been reported. The FPA warned that such incidents were part of a broader pattern of harassment. “Our Palestinian colleagues routinely face threats, intimidation, and violence at the hands of settlers and security forces,” the group stated. “Meanwhile, the foreign press is routinely vilified by some Israeli public figures.” The group also criticized Israeli restrictions on journalists entering refugee camps in the northern West Bank, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced. “These phenomena have led to a worrying and rapid shrinking of the space and freedom to report on Palestinian lives,” the statement concluded.
Top Christian leaders also expressed alarm over recent attacks on Christian communities, particularly in the town of Taybeh. Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III and Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa traveled there Monday to lead a prayer service and show support. “We call for an immediate and transparent investigation into why the Israeli police did not respond to emergency calls from the local community and why these abhorrent actions continue to go unpunished,” the two patriarchs said in a joint statement.
Their visit came after an arson attack near the ruins of the Church of St. George, which residents blamed on Israeli settlers. Witnesses said police were called during the incident, but no officers arrived. The patriarchs described the violence as “a direct and intentional threat” to Christian life and heritage. Pizzaballa warned that continued attacks were driving Christians out of the West Bank. “Unfortunately, the temptation to emigrate is there because of the situation,” he said. “It’s very difficult to see how and when this will finish, and especially for the youth to talk about hope.”
Jordan’s King Abdullah II also condemned the incidents, describing them as “a blatant violation of the sanctity of the dead, Christian holy sites, and [the] Christian presence in the Holy Land.” He called for international action to address what he referred to as the “daily terrorization” by settlers, including killings, harassment, and destruction of property.
Tensions in Taybeh have been rising for months. Residents say extremists have blocked roads, released livestock into orchards to destroy crops, and attacked civilians without consequence. Nearby Kafr Malik was the site of a large mob attack last month that left three Palestinians dead and seven wounded. Locals report that Israeli police rarely intervene or take complaints seriously. “Their plan is clear: ethnic cleansing. There is no other explanation,” said a local resident.
Despite growing pressure from diplomats, religious leaders, and rights groups, many observers remain skeptical that Israeli authorities will take significant action to hold perpetrators accountable.
