Ambassador Huckabee Warns West Bank’s Economic Crisis Could Ignite Violence

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has raised alarms over a potential economic collapse in the West Bank, warning that desperation could lead to violence. “Desperate people do desperate things,” Huckabee stated during a recent briefing.

The warning comes as Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in Palestinian tax revenues. Smotrich has also threatened to disconnect Palestinian banks from Israel’s financial system, tightening the economic noose around the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Without these crucial funds, the PA has been forced to postpone the school year, exacerbating an already precarious situation. Experts fear that this could lead to total collapse, igniting chaos in the West Bank as social unrest grows among an increasingly desperate population.

Huckabee has been actively mediating between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in an effort to facilitate the release of funds and avert a crisis. The international community watches closely, recognizing that the stability of the region is at stake amid ongoing tensions and economic hardships. As previously reported, similar situations have often escalated into violence, raising concerns about the potential for renewed conflict.