US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee issued an extraordinary demand Tuesday for Israeli authorities to conduct an "aggressive investigation" into the fatal beating of a 20-year-old Palestinian-American during a confrontation with Israeli settlers in the West Bank last Friday. Huckabee characterized the death as both a "murder" and a "criminal and terrorist act."
I have asked @Israel to aggressively investigate the murder of Saif Mussallet, an American citizen who was visiting family in Sinjil when he was beaten to death. There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act. Saif was just 20 yrs old.
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) July 15, 2025
The ambassador's unusually forceful condemnation represents a striking departure from his typical pro-Israel rhetoric, according to The New York Times. "There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act," Huckabee declared in his statement, as reported by The New York Times.
The victim, Sayfollah Musallet, was a Florida resident who had traveled to visit family members in the region. Officials from the Palestinian Authority said that Mohammad Shalabi, 23, also perished in the Friday confrontations. Palestinian health authorities stated that Shalabi sustained gunshot wounds during the settler-Palestinian clashes, though the identity of the shooter remained unclear due to the presence of both armed settlers and Israeli military personnel at the scene, according to The New York Times.
Israeli military officials have declined to confirm or deny the reported fatalities, stating only that violent exchanges occurred between Palestinians and Israeli civilians near Sinjil. The circumstances surrounding Friday's deadly confrontation remain disputed. Israeli military sources claimed the violence began when Palestinians threw stones at Israeli civilians, resulting in minor injuries to two Israelis, according to The New York Times.
Trump selected Huckabee as his ambassador choice shortly after November's election.
