DayofPal– U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has claimed that approximately 700,000 American citizens are currently residing in occupied Palestinnian territories as settlers.
Many of the settlers hold Israeli citizenship and serve in the Israeli military. Huckabee made the remarks in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 News amid rising tensions in the region.
“There’s 700,000 Americans living in Israel,” Huckabee stated. “If the Houthis want to continue doing things to Israel and they hurt an American, then it becomes our business.”
His comments followed former President Donald Trump’s unexpected announcement of a bilateral ceasefire agreement between the United States and Yemen.
The deal mandates a cessation of hostilities between the two nations but notably excludes Israel. Yemen’s armed forces have since vowed to continue attacks on Israel in solidarity with Gaza.
Huckabee emphasized that the U.S. does not need Israeli approval to protect its interests in the region. “The United States isn’t required to get permission from Israel to make some type of arrangement that would get the Houthis from firing on our ships,” he said.
He also revealed that he had spoken directly with Trump and Vice President JD Vance the night prior to the interview, discussing regional developments and U.S. policy.
Huckabee added that a potential American military response would depend on whether U.S. citizens are harmed. “It’s a matter of what becomes our immediate business,” he said when asked if U.S. intervention would be contingent on American casualties.
His statements come in the wake of a Houthi missile strike near Ben Gurion Airport that injured several Israeli settlers and prompted several foreign airlines to halt flights to Israel.
Israeli officials reportedly expressed frustration that they were not informed in advance of the U.S.-Yemen ceasefire.
The 700,000 American settlers mentioned by Huckabee are part of a larger settler population living across historic Palestine.
These settlers, originating largely from Western countries, have been described by critics as part of a broader settler-colonial initiative to establish and expand the Israeli state. Military service is compulsory for Israeli citizens, including dual nationals.
The backdrop to these developments includes ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza. Over the past 19 months, more than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to local health authorities, amid accusations of genocide and widespread destruction.
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