(LifeSiteNews) — After an aggressive appeal for the defense of Christians from Israeli settler terrorist attacks in the West Bank, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited the besieged town of Taybeh and released a statement condemning as “an act of terror” the “desecration” of a local church in the town and called for the prosecution of perpetrating Israeli terrorists.

After a recent attack upon the entirely indigenous Christian town on July 7, priests from three local churches — Greek Orthodox, Latin and Melkite — issued a letter pleading for help from “international actors” amid the ongoing siege by Israeli settlers.

Jason Jones, founder and president of the Vulnerable People Project, came to their defense with advocacy online and then a formal open letter to Huckabee that in turn was signed by over 16,000 individuals.

“Israeli settlers are torching holy sites, destroying farmland, and terrorizing families,” Jones tweeted on July 8. “The priests of Taybeh are crying out for help. The world must hear them — and act.”

On July 10, Jones released his open letter to Huckabee explaining the profound fear in which these Christians live given such attacks from Israelis who reside in illegal settlements on internationally recognized Palestinian territory in the West Bank.

And such settler terrorist attacks happen “with the clear backing of Israeli officials and soldiers,” Jones explained. This is an attempt to “illegally and violently drive them out” from their property in the ongoing Zionist objective to take over the whole land.

READ: Expelling the Palestinian people has always been a goal of Zionism

“Where are Mike Huckabee’s statements of solidarity (with these Christians)?” Jones asked in his letter.

Amplifying the appeal from the priests in their calling upon “local and international actors” to intervene on their behalf, by “(applying) diplomatic pressure on the occupying (Israeli) authorities to halt settler actions,” Jones pointed out this included Huckabee and asked him to begin by visiting Taybeh and Bethlehem and listen “humbly to the Christian flock and their pastors.”

With a formal statement released Saturday, Huckabee reported that he made a visit to this ancient town where, as Jones explained, the community traces “their lineage all the way back to the first Jews who accepted the Gospel and received the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room.”

After thanking the people of Taybeh for their hospitality and allowing he and his associates to “see firsthand some of the things that have happened,” Huckabee condemned the “desecration” of the church, calling it an “act of terror,” a “sacrilege,” and “a crime.”

He called for “harsh consequences” for the Israeli terrorists who have attacked the village and pledged to advocate for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

“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,” the ambassador’s statement read.

Accompanied by a number of staff members from the U.S. Embassy, Huckabee said, “We come to express solidarity with the people who just want to live their lives in peace, be able to go to their own land, be able to go to their place of worship.”

“This is a Christian community, largely, and it’s one that deserves respect and deserves to be treated with dignity. Nothing short of that,” the former governor of Arkansas said.

“We are deeply grateful to Ambassador Huckabee for speaking out against the desecration of holy places and condemning the Israeli extremist violence in Taybah,” Jones responded to Huckabee’s statement in a Saturday tweet.

We are deeply grateful to Ambassador Huckabee for speaking out against the desecration of holy places and condemning the Israeli extremist violence in Taybah.

“Any desecration to a holy place – it doesn’t matter whether it’s a church, a mosque, or a synagogue – it’s… https://t.co/dNCN9hyTyM

— The Jason Jones Show (@JasonJonesVPP) July 20, 2025

“By implication, these words also condemn the State of Israel’s attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza. The world must hear this: houses of worship must remain sanctuaries of peace,” Jones wrote.

Last Thursday, Israel bombed the only Catholic church in Gaza, killing at least three and injuring 10 others, “including one in critical condition and two in serious condition,” as described in a statement from Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Among the injured were Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest, who with Missionaries of Charity sisters has been serving the approximately 600 Gazans sheltering in the facility, including many children, around 50 of whom have disabilities.

Regarding the bombing, the Latin Patriarchate also clarified that “this tragedy is not greater or more terrible than the many others that have befallen Gaza. Many other innocent civilians have also been harmed, displaced and killed. Death, suffering and destruction are everywhere.”

As Israel continues to massacre and starve Palestinian civilians on a daily basis, reliable reports of Palestinian deaths number at least 59,029, including 17,400 children, at a confirmed minimum, with at least 142,135 people injured, including over 10,000 children who have lost at least one leg. These dead do not include around 14,000 who are missing and presumed dead and buried under the rubble.

On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed his “call for an immediate halt to the barbarism of the war and for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.”

“I renew my appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and to respect the obligation to protect civilians, as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force and the forced displacement of the population,” the American pontiff said.

Sadly, this act adds to the continuous military attacks against the civilian population and places of worship in Gaza. I again call for an immediate halt to the barbarism of the war and for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. I renew my appeal to the international community to…

— Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex) July 20, 2025

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