The United States ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, was described as a longstanding fervent defender of Israeli settlers. Rubio regretted the tensions in the West Bank but ruled out the possibility of imposing sanctions on Israelis.
Huckabee had denounced in August certain acts of violence by settlers against Palestinian families in the West Bank, classifying them as acts of terrorism.
This position contrasts with the posture previously assumed by the ambassador, who now faces criticism for the apparent contradiction between his past statements and his current position as the diplomatic representative of the US in Israel.
