Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, President Trump’s nominee to be ambassador to Israel, testifies during his confirmation hearing. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
(JTA) — U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is calling on Israel to “aggressively investigate the murder of Saif Mussallet,” a Palestinian American beaten to death in the West Bank on Friday.
Huckabee’s call, issued on X, marked the first denunciation of Mussallet’s murder by a U.S. official. White House officials previously referred questions about the incident to Israel.
“I have asked @Israel to aggressively investigate the murder of Saif Mussallet, an American citizen who was visiting family in Sinjil when he was beaten to death,” Huckabee wrote. “There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act. Saif was just 20 yrs old.”
Huckabee’s call is especially notable because he is a vocal advocate of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which he has said he would support Israel annexing. Mussallet’s family and Palestinian officials say Jewish settlers beat Mussallet severely and then prevented paramedics from reaching him for hours. He was visiting the region from his home in Florida and came in contact with settlers while seeking to protect his family’s land, the family said.
Huckabee did not mention settlers or settler violence against Palestinians, which watchdogs say has risen sharply in recent months, accelerating a years-long trend. The United States sanctioned several settlers and settler groups last year in an attempt to quell the violence; President Donald Trump lifted those sanctions within 24 hours of taking office in January.
Mussallet’s family is pressing for a U.S. investigation into his death, which is seen as unlikely because it would signal a lack of confidence in Israeli authorities. Israel has not charged anyone in connection with Mussallet’s death.
