U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited the Christian Palestinian town of Taybeh in the West Bank yesterday
Taybeh has been subject to increased violence and arson by Jewish settlers recently, with incidents including the setting of fire to the ruins of the fifth-century Church of St. George and a Christian cemetery.
Senior church leaders in Jerusalem last week alleged that Israeli authorities are aiding settler violence against Christians and Christian sites.
Huckabee claimed there should be 'harsh consequences' for the perpetrators.
Additionally, in a leaked letter to Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, Mike Huckabee complained about Israel's refusal to approve visas for Evangelical Christians, writing, 'It would be very unfortunate that our embassy would have to publicly announce throughout the United States that the State of Israel is no longer welcoming Christian organizations,' and threatened 'reciprocal treatment of Israeli citizens seeking visas to the United States.'