Turmus Ayya, a West Bank village where approximately 80 percent of residents hold US citizenship, has experienced escalating violence from nearby Israeli settlers over the past year. The village’s residents are primarily members of the Palestinian diaspora from cities including New York, Chicago, and New Jersey who return seasonally to maintain cultural connections. They reside in proximity to an illegal Israeli outpost and Shilo, a hilltop settlement that has attracted American residents and received visits from US officials including Ambassador Mike Huckabee.
Residents report relentless nighttime incursions by settlers using off-road vehicles, gunfire, and intimidation tactics. Village council head Yaser Alkam, a former California attorney, described the dynamic as asymmetrical, with one side attacking while the other defends with limited resources. The violence includes property damage, with recent attacks featuring graffiti stating “Revenge.” Nine Palestinian Americans have been killed in the West Bank since 2022 in incidents involving either settlers or Israeli military forces.
The US State Department stated it condemns violence by all parties and maintains regular dialogue on security matters, while noting that US policy opposes Israeli annexation of the West Bank. Ambassador Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, has made public statements expressing support for Jewish claims to the occupied territory, telling residents that the Trump administration stands with settlers. When attacks occur, residents contact the embassy for assistance, with mixed results; US intervention helped secure the departure of Israeli military from a doctor’s home in late July, though officials often lack ability to prevent or restrain violence during attacks.
Resident Ghaith Odeh, who grew up in Queens and maintains ties to New Jersey, relocated his family to Turmus Ayya in 2021. He and others on the village’s frontlines have installed window shutters as protective measures. The Trump administration’s removal of violent settlers from sanctions lists previously established under the Biden administration has caused some residents who voted for Trump to question their political choices and the administration’s commitment to protecting American citizens in the territory.
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