{
  "id": 1953451,
  "title": "The situation in the West Bank is so dire even Mike Huckabee is condemning Israeli settlers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/the-situation-in-the-west-bank-is-so-dire-even-mike-huckabee-is",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-19T14:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/2026/08/20/west-bank-palestine-israel-us-uk-zionists-arthur-balfour/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel and a staunch pro-Israel advocate, has spoken out against Israeli settlers who are besieging three Palestinian families in the West Bank. The Baptist preacher condemned the settlers as \"Israeli terrorists,\" describing their actions as \"horrific\" and \"disgusting.\" According to UN figures, 76 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank this year, including 18 children, while over 1,400 settler attacks have been documented. Three thousand eight hundred Palestinians have been displaced, with nearly half of them being children. United Nations officials warn that the violence could escalate into mass atrocities. Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN's Deputy Special Co-ordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, emphasized that the West Bank is at a breaking point. Israeli security sources report a 63% increase in \"nationalistic crime\" in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year. Settlements in the West Bank continue to expand, with the UN reporting over 12,000 new housing units created since January, backed by $431 million for 34 new settlements. Settler agricultural outposts now cover nearly a fifth of the West Bank's land. The influx of settlers, hailing from Ukraine, Russia, and Long Island, among other places, is driven by a belief in the \"land of Judea and Samaria.\" Their ideology is rooted in the Old Testament and the idea of being a \"chosen people.\" These settlers view the Palestinian presence on the land as something to be removed, like furniture. Cabinet ministers openly advocate for the destruction of Palestinian villages and the establishment of more settlements, filled with expatriates from various countries. The settlers' advocates themselves admit they aim to make a Palestinian state impossible. The brutal cycle of violence, which is not a mere cycle but a result of dispossession, is perpetuated by Balfour's legacy. The UN acknowledges this situation as a breaking point, calling for an honest reckoning with history to bring about any potential resolution.",
  "summary": "Unexpected things often happen during August’s political hiatus, but no one could have predicted that US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee would come out and condemn Israeli settlers who are laying siege to the three Palestinian families in the occupied West Bank. Mr Huckabee, a Baptist preacher and pro-Israel advocate, has consistently made excuses for both the Israeli army and Prime Minister…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "The situation in the West Bank is so dire even Mike Huckabee is condemning Israeli settlers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/the-situation-in-the-west-bank-is-so-dire-even-mike-huckabee-is-1954444",
        "published": "2026-08-19T14:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}