Turmus Ayya, a West Bank village where approximately 80% of residents hold US citizenship, has experienced intensifying violence from Israeli settlers over the past year. The village’s inhabitants, many of whom are diaspora members from cities including New York, Chicago, and Paterson, New Jersey, maintain ties to the United States while living on ancestral Palestinian land. They have constructed homes and return seasonally to experience Palestinian culture and teach Arabic to their children.
The village sits near an illegal Israeli outpost staffed by settlers who claim the entire West Bank as Jewish land. Residents report regular nighttime attacks involving gunshots, intimidation, and property damage. Village council head Yaser Alkam, a semi-retired attorney who previously lived in California, has documented incidents including spray-painted threats on homes. He has expressed concern about the identity of attackers, noting the irony that US citizens may be among those targeting other US citizens. According to reports, nine Palestinian Americans have been killed in the West Bank since 2022 by settlers or Israeli military forces.
The Trump administration’s approach to the situation has become a point of contention. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, has visited the nearby settlement of Shilo and publicly expressed support for Jewish claims to the occupied territory. The administration removed certain settlers from sanctions lists previously established under the Biden administration. While the US embassy has occasionally provided assistance during specific incidents, residents say such interventions remain insufficient and inconsistent.
When contacted by media outlets, the State Department stated that all US citizens in the West Bank have access to consular services and condemned violence from all parties. Officials indicated the administration maintains dialogue with regional partners regarding stability and security. The department reiterated that the administration does not support Israeli annexation of the West Bank, characterizing stability in the region as necessary for Israeli security and regional peace efforts.
Violence in the area predates the October 2023 Hamas attacks and subsequent Gaza conflict but has accelerated notably in the months following. Residents like Ghaith Odeh, who moved his family to Turmus Ayya in 2021 after spending most of his time in New Jersey, report living on high alert near settler outposts with reinforced windows and limited protective infrastructure.
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