U.S. envoy labels Israeli settlers as terrorists, sparking debate over terminology
After settlers besieged homes in Qusra, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee called the perpetrators “Israeli terrorists,” a description the author argues obscures the state-backed nature of the violence.
On August 9, a group of Israeli settlers encircled three homes in Qusra, south of Nablus, disabling water and electricity and preventing essential aid from reaching the residents. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee subsequently described the attackers as “Israeli terrorists,” a phrase that has gained traction in some diplomatic and media circles. The author argues that this label is historically a tool of imperial powers and that applying it to settlers portrays their actions as the work of a marginal extremist fringe rather than a component of Israel’s broader colonial framework.
The piece cites past instances, such as the 1994 Ibrahimi Mosque massacre, to illustrate how extremist acts are isolated while the surrounding system is reinforced. It also notes that Israeli officials across the political spectrum support policies that enable settlement expansion and dispossession. By framing settler violence as terrorism, the article warns that Western actors can appear to hold individuals accountable while leaving the larger structure untouched, thereby preserving the status quo of Palestinian displacement.
Why it matters
The terminology used to describe settler attacks influences international perception and policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In this story
