Turmus Ayya, a Palestinian village where approximately 80% of residents hold US citizenship, has become a focal point of tension between American-Palestinian villagers and Israeli settlers. The residents, primarily members of the diaspora from cities including New York, Chicago, and Paterson, New Jersey, return seasonally to maintain cultural ties and educate their children. They describe experiencing sustained nighttime intimidation involving gunfire, vehicle intrusions, and property damage.
The village borders an illegal Israeli outpost affiliated with the nearby Shilo settlement. International bodies including the UN characterize settlements in the West Bank as violations of international law. Several individuals associated with the settlement movement have made public statements claiming Jewish entitlement to the entire West Bank region. One resident, Yaser Alkam, who served as a family law attorney in California for 35 years before becoming village council head, expressed concern about the identities of attackers and their potential connections to the United States.
The Trump administration, led by Ambassador Mike Huckabee, an evangelical Christian who has visited Shilo twice in recent years, has expressed support for Israeli settlement claims on land settlers refer to as Judea and Samaria. The State Department stated the administration does not support Israeli annexation of the West Bank and emphasized commitment to regional stability. However, according to residents, the administration removed certain settlers from sanctions lists previously established under the Biden administration.
Palestinian Americans have documented nine deaths in the West Bank since 2022 attributed to either settlers or the Israeli military. While US officials have occasionally intervened in specific incidents, residents report that protective assistance remains inconsistent and insufficient. The violence preceded the October 7 attacks and subsequent Israel-Gaza conflict but has intensified over the past year, according to accounts from residents including Ghaith Odeh, who relocated his family from New Jersey to the village in 2021.
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