President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday his nomination of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as the United States ambassador to Israel. In a statement, Trump praised Huckabee’s dedication, saying, “Mike loves Israel and the people of Israel, and they love him back. He will work tirelessly to bring peace to the Middle East.”
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, was quick to congratulate Huckabee, who has made supportive remarks about Israel in the past. In previous statements, Huckabee has voiced opposition to the concept of “occupation” when referencing Palestinian territories, stating, “There is no such thing as occupation.”
Minister Sa’ar expressed enthusiasm on social media, addressing Huckabee directly: “I look forward to working with you to strengthen the bond between our people. As a longtime friend of Israel and our eternal capital, Jerusalem, I hope you feel at home.”
At age 69, Huckabee is a two-time Republican primary candidate for the U.S. presidency. In the 2016 race, he endorsed Trump after dropping out of the primary. Huckabee’s long-standing support for Israel includes numerous visits, with the first dating back to 1973. In 2017, he attended the expansion of Ma’ale Adumim, one of the largest Israeli settlements in the West Bank, aligning with Trump’s pro-Israel stance.
In an interview with CNN, Huckabee commented, “These are not settlements; they are communities, neighborhoods, and cities. There is no such thing as occupation.”
Huckabee’s daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, currently serves as Governor of Arkansas and previously served as Trump’s White House Press Secretary from 2017 to 2019 during his first term.
