Huckabee visits Christian church in West Financial institution that was goal of arson assault

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday visited a Christian village within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution and urged accountability for an assault on an historic church, which residents have blamed on Israeli settlers.

In early July, the village of Taybeh was hit by an arson assault within the space of the ruins of the Byzantine-era Church of Saint George, which dates again to the fifth century.

Residents blamed settlers for the hearth, which comes as violence soars within the West Financial institution and final week noticed an American-Palestinian man killed close to Ramallah.

Israel has to date not responded to CBS Information’ requests for details about the incident.

Huckabee, an evangelical Christian and staunch advocate for Israel, stated his journey to Taybeh aimed to “categorical solidarity with the individuals who simply need to reside their lives in peace, to have the ability to go to their very own land, to have the ability to go to their place of worship.”

“It would not matter whether or not it is a mosque, a church, a synagogue,” he instructed reporters.

“It is unacceptable to commit an act of sacrilege by desecrating a spot that’s alleged to be a spot of worship.”

“We will definitely insist that those that perform acts of terror and violence in Taybeh or wherever be discovered, be prosecuted, not simply reprimanded. That is not sufficient,” he stated.

“Individuals have to pay a value for doing one thing that destroys that which belongs not simply to different folks, however that which belongs to God.”

Within the villages and communities round Taybeh, Palestinian authorities reported that settlers had killed three folks and broken or destroyed a number of water sources up to now two weeks alone.

Israel has occupied the West Financial institution since 1967 and violence has surged within the territory because the Hamas assault of Oct. 7, 2023, that triggered the Israel-Hamas battle.

Huckabee, who has for years been an outspoken supporter of Jewish settlement within the Palestinian territories, on Tuesday demanded an aggressive investigation and penalties after settlers beat to dying a Palestinian-American within the West Financial institution.

It was an indication of uncommon public stress in opposition to U.S. ally Israel by the Trump’s administration.