US ambassador breaks with Israel, condemns settler attack on US journalist

US Ambassador Mike Huckabee publicly condemned a settler attack on Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine as a 'despicable act of terror,' a rare diplomatic break with Israeli authorities who have given a lukewarm response. The attack, which left Levine badly beaten and requiring surgery, occurred last Friday by masked settlers. This marks a notable deviation from typical US-Israel diplomatic alignment, potentially straining bilateral relations and highlighting settler violence as a flashpoint.