The US ambassador to Israel said on Saturday that the Israeli government bore responsibility for West Bank Palestinians' safety and should impose "severe consequences" over violence, as he visited families after a surge in settler attacks.

Mike Huckabee, long known as a staunch supporter of Israel and settlers, visited a Palestinian-American's home in the West Bank that has been repeatedly targeted by settlers and said he wanted to hear the community's "legitimate grievances".

As the ambassador met families inside a finely manicured old house in the town of Turmus Ayya, where around 80 percent of the 4,000 residents hold US citizenship, a settler from a nearby illegal outpost approached nearby in a quad bike.

"One of the messages that we have been sending and we will continue to send is that people in these communities have a right to live with a level of security and safety, and that the government has a responsibility to make sure that that happens," Huckabee said.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and violence by Israeli settlers towards Palestinian residents has persisted for years, often with little or no legal consequence, but recent months have seen a surge in attacks ahead of October 27 elections.

Huckabee stopped short of criticising Israel by name but said: "Our clear message is that crime is crime, terror is terror.

"When people do it they should have an expectation that they will have severe consequences," Huckabee said.

Ahead of elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has been ramping up approval of new settlements, which are illegal under international law. More than 500,000 Israelis live in the West Bank amid three million Palestinians. (AFP)




Edited by Azam Khan