The past few days have seen growing American discontent toward Israel, against the backdrop of a series of events that have resonated strongly with the public and the media—and, in particular, sparked outrage among Christian communities around the world. Among the events are the bombing of the “Holy Family Church”—the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip, located in eastern Gaza City; the arson of an ancient church in the Palestinian village of al-Taybeh, east of Ramallah, whose residents partly hold American citizenship; and a crisis surrounding the issuance of visas for representatives of Christian organizations operating in Israel and the territories. Even earlier, the United States demanded that Israel investigate the “murder” of Palestinian-American Saif al-Din Musallat, who was beaten to death in the village of Sinjil near Ramallah, allegedly by Jewish extremists.
These events have raised concern among Americans and have triggered an unusual response—even from Israel’s traditional supporters in Washington. The American ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee—a staunch supporter of Israel and affiliated with the evangelical right—has led the public criticism. In a series of sharp tweets, Huckabee described the attacks in Gaza and the Palestinian village as “barbaric assaults” and even “crimes against humanity.” He also made a public visit to al-Taybeh, accompanied by Senator Lindsey Graham, another long-standing supporter of Israel, who later clarified: “If settlers are responsible for the arson—they must be brought to justice.”
Further escalating the tension was a phone call from President Trump to Prime Minister Netanyahu, following pressure from American Christian leaders after the attack on the church in Gaza. According to sources familiar with the conversation, Trump demanded that Netanyahu act immediately to calm the crisis and warned that harm to Christians severely damages Israel’s image in the eyes of the American public.
In response, Netanyahu issued a public apology within a few hours for the “unintentional” harm to the Christian community, and even spoke personally with the Pope to express regret and to assure that the State of Israel is committed to protecting freedom of religion and holy sites.
At the same time, Huckabee sent an official letter to Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, warning that if the visa issue for clergy and representatives of Christian organizations is not resolved, the United States would consider imposing restrictions on the issuance of visas to Israeli citizens. “This is not the relationship the State of Israel wishes to have with its best partner and friend,” Huckabee wrote. He added, “As the US ambassador representing the United States and President Donald J. Trump, I am formally requesting that this deteriorated relationship with the Interior Ministry be resolved so that the issue is not further escalated.”
The tension surrounding Israel’s treatment of Christian communities coincides with additional reports from Washington expressing dissatisfaction with Israel’s broader conduct in the region, particularly in relation to the Syrian regime, amid clashes between the Druze and Bedouin communities in southern Syria. Despite the close relationship between the Trump administration and Israel, there is a growing sense that Washington is increasingly sensitive to moves perceived as harming American interests—especially those related to the Christian-evangelical support base.
The past few days have seen growing American discontent toward Israel, against the backdrop of a series of events that have resonated strongly with the public and the media—and, in particular, sparked outrage among Christian communities around the world. Among the events are the bombing of the “Holy Family Church”—the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip, located in eastern Gaza City; the arson of an ancient church in the Palestinian village of al-Taybeh, east of Ramallah, whose residents partly hold American citizenship; and a crisis surrounding the issuance of visas for representatives of Christian organizations operating in Israel and the territories. Even earlier, the United States demanded that Israel investigate the “murder” of Palestinian-American Saif al-Din Musallat, who was beaten to death in the village of Sinjil near Ramallah, allegedly by Jewish extremists.
These events have raised concern among Americans and have triggered an unusual response—even from Israel’s traditional supporters in Washington. The American ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee—a staunch supporter of Israel and affiliated with the evangelical right—has led the public criticism. In a series of sharp tweets, Huckabee described the attacks in Gaza and the Palestinian village as “barbaric assaults” and even “crimes against humanity.” He also made a public visit to al-Taybeh, accompanied by Senator Lindsey Graham, another long-standing supporter of Israel, who later clarified: “If settlers are responsible for the arson—they must be brought to justice.”
Further escalating the tension was a phone call from President Trump to Prime Minister Netanyahu, following pressure from American Christian leaders after the attack on the church in Gaza. According to sources familiar with the conversation, Trump demanded that Netanyahu act immediately to calm the crisis and warned that harm to Christians severely damages Israel’s image in the eyes of the American public.
In response, Netanyahu issued a public apology within a few hours for the “unintentional” harm to the Christian community, and even spoke personally with the Pope to express regret and to assure that the State of Israel is committed to protecting freedom of religion and holy sites.
At the same time, Huckabee sent an official letter to Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, warning that if the visa issue for clergy and representatives of Christian organizations is not resolved, the United States would consider imposing restrictions on the issuance of visas to Israeli citizens. “This is not the relationship the State of Israel wishes to have with its best partner and friend,” Huckabee wrote. He added, “As the US ambassador representing the United States and President Donald J. Trump, I am formally requesting that this deteriorated relationship with the Interior Ministry be resolved so that the issue is not further escalated.”
The tension surrounding Israel’s treatment of Christian communities coincides with additional reports from Washington expressing dissatisfaction with Israel’s broader conduct in the region, particularly in relation to the Syrian regime, amid clashes between the Druze and Bedouin communities in southern Syria. Despite the close relationship between the Trump administration and Israel, there is a growing sense that Washington is increasingly sensitive to moves perceived as harming American interests—especially those related to the Christian-evangelical support base.