JERUSALEM (OSV News) ─ U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called the desecration of any holy place an "act of terror" and a "crime" that required "harsh consequences," following a visit to the West Bank village of Taybeh.
Huckabee went to Taybeh July 19 to meet with the local priests and assess the damage caused by Israeli settler vandalism that threatened the village's fifth-century Al-Khader (St. George) Church.
"One thing that we strongly agree on is that any desecration to a holy place -- it doesn't matter whether it's a church, a mosque, or a synagogue -- it's unacceptable. 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," the U.S. ambassador to Israel wrote.
"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," Huckabee, who is also a Baptist pastor known for his support of Israel, said in a July 19 statement released by the U.S. Embassy to Israel.
In a post on X, Huckabee said the desecration of a church, mosque or synagogue was a "crime" against "humanity" and "God." He noted that Taybeh is a "quiet Palestinian village" with "a lot of American citizens."
Huckabee made the private visit following criticism of the absence of any American diplomatic representatives during the July 14 visit to the village by the patriarchs and heads of churches of Jerusalem that included Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, and 28 foreign diplomats.
"What has happened here is an absolute travesty, and it's my desire to do everything possible to let the people of this peaceful village know that we will certainly insist that those who carry out acts of terror and violence in Taybeh -- or anywhere -- be found and be prosecuted. Not just reprimanded, that's not enough. People need to pay a price for doing something that destroys that which belongs, not just to other people, but that which belongs to God. That is a sacrilege. It's against the Holy," said Huckabee in the statement. "I myself am a Christian, but I would never desecrate a mosque or a synagogue."
Huckabee said he was "very grateful" for the conversation he had with the residents of the village, calling it "very honest" and "candid."
"We heard things that we needed to hear today," he said.
Huckabee had also been criticized for not speaking out against the murder of 20-year-old Palestinian-American Sayfollah Musallet, who had arrived from Florida in June and was reportedly beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah, during a confrontation over the construction of an illegal settler encampment on village land. His family is demanding the U.S. State Department leads an investigation into the incident.
In a separate X post, Huckabee wrote that he "worked for ALL American citizens who live in Israel -- Jewish, Muslim or Christian."
"When they are terrorized or victims of crime I will demand those responsible to be held accountable (with) real consequences," he said.
Huckabee said he was in Taybeh to meet with the people of the village and "listen and learn."
Taybeh has been targeted at least four times prior to the patriarchs' July 14 visit by Israeli settlers from the nearby Rimonim settlement who have set up tents on Taybeh land, with attacks including the burning of homes, olive groves, and significant religious and cultural landmarks.
Many Palestinian Christians have left their homes in fear of settler violence.
- - -
Judith Sudilovsky writes for OSV News from Jerusalem.
