Mike Huckabee spent the past few days saying two things much of the world assumes cannot be said together.
He condemned the assault on Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine as a “despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards” and said they should spend years in prison. When Israeli authorities announced the arrests, he welcomed them as a “very positive development.”
A very positive development in finding & punishing those who severely attacked and beat Heidi Levine an unarmed journalist with @wapo
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) October 19, 2026
He also visited Israel’s ancient Susya archeological site on Sunday in what local leaders described as a historic occasion, saying it marked the first time a sitting US ambassador had visited the location. Delivering the keynote at the inaugural Judea Conference, he called Judea and Samaria the heartland of Israel and said it is “impossible to even connect to the Scripture without connecting to Judea and Samaria.”
WHEN EUROPE BOYCOTTS. HUCKABEE SHOWS UP!
While Europe boycotts Judea and Samaria and much of the world calls Israel an “occupier,” U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, @GovMikeHuckabee, went to ancient Susya and participated in the first Judea Conference alongside Israeli ministers, Knesset members, regional leaders and activists. The Jewish Edition
He didn’t just show up.
He called Judea and Samaria “the heartland of Israel” and said “80% of the Bible took place” there.At a moment when much of the diplomatic world is running away from Judea and Samaria, America’s ambassador is standing there, publicly, politically and unapologetically.
That is very telling.@JoshHasten’s full report in @JNS_org in the comments. 👇
— Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) October 19, 2026
Huckabee managed to hold two thoughts at once: punish violent offenders, and do not erase Jewish rights in the biblical heartland.
What happened at Abu Falah
Levine’s injuries occurred during a clash between several hundred masked Palestinian Arabs and a few dozen masked Jewish activists near the Palestinian village of Abu Falah.
Israeli police detained 10 suspects at dawn on Monday in several locations in Samaria.
But the Prime Minister’s Office insists “serious questions remain” regarding who specifically was responsible. Levine and the Palestinians she rode in with were quick to blame Jewish “settlers.” Israeli officials noted that even if settler youth were responsible for her injuries, the circumstances of the clash are suspect. A large group of Palestinians showed up clearly ready for a fight, and they brought dozens of foreign journalists with them.
The incidents that receive no international coverage
On Monday, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, a former Jerusalem deputy mayor and People of Israel candidate in next week’s election, was riding with a tour group near Turmus Ayya in Samaria. Footage from inside the car showed someone telling everyone to duck before a stone crashed into the window behind her, shattering it. Her party said “several terrorists” surrounded the car and hurled stones, injuring several people inside. Police said they had launched an investigation.
Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, a Knesset candidate, and her team were attacked by Muslim terrorists during an advocacy tour they conducted together with the @Regavim_IL movement in Judea and Samaria.
They were attacked in the village of Turmus Ayya, where 80% of residents hold American citizenship.
Expecting the American ambassador @USAmbIsrael to intervene.
— אלעד הוּמינר 🇮🇱 العاد هومينر (@EladHumi) October 19, 2026
The night before, Palestinians broke into the Nof HaMishkan farm near Shiloh at around 11 p.m. and stole 90 sheep. The owner said half the flock was found in an abandoned compound in Taybeh, and the Yesha Council’s situation room said it located the rest in Talfit.
The Levine story drew broad international coverage. Searching for Hassan-Nahoum through Tuesday turned up only local Israeli outlets. The question is not whether Levine’s injuries deserved attention. It’s why comparable violence against Israelis so often seems to require an additional explanation before it is noticed.
And that explanation, if it comes at all, is typically used to excuse an assault on Israelis and Jews. Critics on social media called Hassan-Nahoum’s presence in Turmus Ayya a “provocation.”
Who condemns whom
There is also a difference in what comes after. Israel’s president, police and media condemned Levine’s attackers, and arrests followed.
Palestinian polling points to a different debate. In September 2024, Palestinian pollster PCPSR found 64 percent of respondents in the so-called “West Bank” still thought the October 7 attack was the correct decision, while Palestinian media and schools continue to glorify violence against Israelis.
Huckabee stood in Susya and spoke of 3,800 years of Jewish connection to the land. A day later, a stone came through a car window a short drive north.
Consistency would mean that stone gets what Levine’s attackers got: arrests, and headlines.
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