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US Ambassador Mike Huckabee meets Palestinian official in Ramallah: Report

Thursday, 18 December 2025 10:27 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 18 December 2025 10:27 PM ]

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has held a rare meeting with Palestinian Authority (PA) Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh in Ramallah, according to a report.

The discussion, the second known encounter between the two since President Donald Trump's return to office, took place on Wednesday against a backdrop of escalating Zionist settler violence and Israeli military strikes that have heightened tensions across the occupied West Bank, according to US and PA officials cited by The Times of Israel.

A US official claimed that Washington has been privately pressing Israel to take stronger action against Zionist settler violence, though with only limited success.

Recent weeks have seen a surge in such incidents, contributing to what the United Nations reports describe as record levels of violence in 2025.

The meeting also addressed Israel's ongoing withholding of Palestinian tax revenues, which constitute the bulk of the PA's budget and have significantly impaired Ramallah's governmental functions.

A PA official noted that al-Sheikh sought Huckabee's intervention on this issue.

Earlier in the year, Huckabee had reportedly worked to persuade Israel to release the funds, but those efforts were halted following decisions by several Western countries to recognize a Palestinian state, a move supported by the PA.

Additionally, al-Sheikh requested US assistance in securing Israeli entry permits for Palestinian Christians wishing to visit al-Quds for Christmas celebrations, as well as greater freedom of movement to Bethlehem, amid an increase in Israeli military checkpoints throughout the West Bank.

The two sides agreed to schedule a follow-up meeting for their aides next month.

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