US “Israel” Envoy Dodges Responsibility Over Martyrdom of Palestinian Americans in West Bank

By Staff, Agencies

The US ambassador to “Tel Aviv”, Mike Huckabee, refused to confirm that apartheid “Israeli” regime settlers were responsible for the deaths of two Palestinian Americans in the occupied West Bank last July, despite eyewitness accounts, local officials, and media reports affirming the incidents.

Regarding the first killing, 20-year-old Saif Musallet was beaten to death on July 11 during settler confrontations with pro-Palestinian protesters in Sinjil village.

When questioned by CBS News, Huckabee gave an evasive reply, stating that although medical records had been received and a full investigation demanded, he would not jump to the conclusion that settlers were responsible, saying, “It may have been, but we don’t know.”

The second victim, Khamis al-Ayyad, died from smoke inhalation after settlers torched homes and vehicles in Silwad near Ramallah on July 31.

Despite tear gas deployed by the “Israeli” military, which often supports settlers in such incidents, Huckabee again dodged direct answers, remarking, “There are a lot of questions… it’s not always simple to get the full cooperation of all the authorities”.

He also declined to confirm whether US consular assistance had been offered to al-Ayyad’s family, who told US media no contact had been made.

In response, the Council on American–Islamic Relations [CAIR] has called on the Justice Department to open a formal investigation, invoke the US–“Israel” Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, and affirm that American citizenship protections apply regardless of the perpetrator’s identity.

Huckabee also dismissed reports of famine in Gaza, blaming the humanitarian crisis on Hamas rather than “Israeli” policies of starvation amid its ongoing genocidal war since October 2023.

He questioned whether deaths at US-backed food distribution sites were caused by the “Israeli” military or contractors, instead attributing violence to Hamas, contradicting humanitarian organizations like Doctors Without Borders, which condemned these sites as “laboratories of cruelty” responsible for over 1,700 deaths.

Finally, Huckabee deflected responsibility for the “Israeli” regime’s plans to occupy the entire Gaza Strip, stating that the decision rested solely with “the Israelis,” despite Washington being Tel Aviv’s largest supporter.