U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee pulled no punches on Tuesday while speaking with The Jerusalem Post at its Diplomatic Conference, declaring that European nations pushing a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state “destroyed” the negotiations for the Israeli hostages held by the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza.
“I’ll tell you what destroyed the negotiations for the hostages was the European nations going and having this push for a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state,” Huckabee asserted. “I can tell you that was very detrimental, and it destroyed negotiations.”
“I can’t say we were close to some type of resolution because Hamas has never been close to a resolution, and people have to understand: Whatever they pretend that they’re for, they’re not at the moment in which they have to make the agreement,” he stressed. “The same people who did the barbaric, savage things on October 7 are the same people you’re expected to sit down and have a conversation and a negotiation with? Look at what they did on October 7. Good gosh, remember what they did?”
“These are not normal people,” he asserted. “These are not people that you deal with like you’re buying a car or you’re working out some trade agreement. These are horrible, savage people who did the most unspeakable things to other human beings, civilians, and so they don’t negotiate for hostages based on a moral code that we’re used to dealing with; Israel is used to dealing with. That’s not what we’re dealing with. And so, we all want the hostages home, and we want them home today. President Trump has said so many times, so clearly, so consistently: All the hostages come out at once and Hamas must disappear, go away, disarm, can’t stay. That’s as clear as he can be.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee:
&#8220;What destroyed the negotiations for the hostages was the European nations going and having this push for a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state&#8230; it destroyed negotiations.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Y83Jvifvyn">pic.twitter.com/Y83Jvifvyn</a>
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) <a href="https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/1968305229038072007?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“We not only disagree, we strongly urge nations to not go there,” he said of the movement for unilaterally declaring a Palestinian state. “For one, it violates Oslo. It is a stunt at the United Nations. It is not going anywhere; it is not going to create a Palestinian state.”
Huckabee also <a href="https://www.jpost.com/diplomatic-conference/article-867635">said</a> that if Israel decided to claim sovereignty over the biblical areas of Judea and Samaria, the U.S. would not object. “We respect Israel as a sovereign nation,” he stated. “We are not going to tell Israel what it can and cannot do any more than we would expect Israel to tell us what we can and cannot do.”
“Sometimes [Israel] may disagree with the United States – that is their right,” the ambassador said. “They are a sovereign nation, and they have every basis to say we disagree. We respect our partner. &#8230; We have friends as the United States, and we do have allies, but I would say we only have one real partner,” noting the “levels of intelligence, military hardware and software, levels of cooperation and communication, the likes of which simply do not exist with any other country.”
“West Bank is a very modern, nebulous term,” he contended. “It is more accurate to call it Judea and Samaria, the term that goes back two or three thousand years – and 80% of the Bible is about Judea and Samaria.”

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Holds Nomination Hearing For Mike Huckabee To Be Ambassador To Israel

Huckabee: Europe’s Palestinian State Push ‘Destroyed’ Hostage Negotiations

Europe

Global Politics

Israel

Judea and Samaria

Mike Huckabee

Palestinian State

Politics

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee denounced CBS News for selectively editing an <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/video/huckabee-says-if-israel-is-attempting-genocide-they-are-really-really-bad-at-it/">interview</a> with him on its way to savagely attacking Israel.
Huckabee was interviewed by CBS News&#8217; Debora Patta, who has been critical Israel for years, whether <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6be9tHsEpO/">interviewing members</a> of “Breaking the Silence,” an organization that has accused Israel of occupation and apartheid and routinely attacks the Israel Defense Forces, or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CBSEveningNews/videos/israeli-soldier-accuses-army-of-using-human-shields/1297754977966525/">interviewing an anonymous Israeli soldier</a> attacking the IDF for supposed crimes it had committed in the war against Hamas.
He released the full transcript of the interview to illustrate how it was chopped up by the network to &#8220;give you a different story&#8221; than what actually took place.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ever wonder how the media edits an interview to give you a different story than the one they had? Here’s <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBSNews</a> interview with me yesterday and the unedited full transcript below. Take time and read. You’ll see it ⬇️. <a href="https://t.co/6bubcQogyi">https://t.co/6bubcQogyi</a>
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@USAmbIsrael) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbIsrael/status/1953777227914453499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Huckabee links to both the aired segment and a <a href="https://il.usembassy.gov/ambassador-huckabees-interview-with-cbs-news/">full transcript of the interview</a> posted on the ambassador&#8217;s website.
The actual interview with Huckabee started with him speaking of the futility of negotiations with Hamas, saying, “I’m not sure there is a way to revive negotiations with people who were so savage that they would rape women in front of their families, burn elderly people in their wheelchairs, in front of family, and do the hideous things that they not only did on October 7, but they continue to do in torturing hostages that have been in these tunnels now for almost 22 months. So, if I believe that there was a way to sit down and reason with people like that. I would love to see it happen, but you have to look at who they are and what they have done, what they’ve done to their own people. How many of their own people they’ve murdered in Gaza and ask yourself, are these people that really want a conclusion? Do they want some level of stability? I see no sign of it.”
Patta asked, “So, the alternative is?”
“I think the alternative is to recognize that they understand one thing: they lose, they have to be defeated. And President Trump has repeatedly said, Hamas has no future in Gaza, and they can’t lead it. I think that’s exactly right. It would be the equivalent of saying, well, the Nazis can stay in Germany after World War II and continue to be a party and maybe have a role in government.”
None of that was aired.
After discussing the possibility of Israel taking control of Gaza, with Huckabee saying, “The United States has respect for the nation that was attacked on October the seventh. We understand that they’re the ones who have to make some of these tough decisions. So it’s not our job to tell them what they should or should not do,” Patta segued to undermining the Israeli war effort, claiming, “I have spoken to many families of the hostages interviewed in countless times, and there is real frustration, though, with Netanyahu and his government, the feeling that they could perhaps be beholden to right wing factions in the Cabinet who don’t want the war to end, who have said that they don’t want the war to end until Hamas is completely defeated.”
Huckabee responded:
<blockquote>
Now some people would want it to end regardless of the outcome, even if Hamas gets to stay, but that’s an outcome that ultimately, Israel has to ask itself, can we live with that? Can the world live with that? Does that not just invite another October 7, which is what Hamas has pledged, promised, guaranteed, they would do again. How many more hostage families will there be in the future? If Hamas gets to stay, they get to chalk this up as a victory.
</blockquote>
Patta then claimed, without providing any documentation or evidence, “You’ve seen the protests, over half of Israelis want the war to end.”
“I think 100% of the Israelis want the war to end. I would venture to say I couldn’t find somebody in this country that wants it to continue. But I don’t think that there is a consensus as to whether or not the war should end with Hamas getting a victory,&#8221; Huckabee fired back. “Do you allow these savages who did what they did and continue to do it? &#8230; October the seventh wasn’t the only time they ever did something that was absolutely a massacre, the number of deaths that they inflicted would have been the equivalent of 40,000 people in America killed on a single day by a terror organization. I can’t even begin to tell you what would be the reaction in the United States. So, from the perspective as an American who’s here watching in the middle of this, I can tell you that Americans, if 40,000 of us, would have been slaughtered, massacred, mutilated in front of our families, I don’t think Americans would say: ‘you know, we just want this to be over. We’re just tired of this.’ If the people who did it were going to claim a victory and put a flag up and say: ‘And we’re going to do it again.”
None of this was aired.
Patta then turned to what appeared to be her real agenda, asking Huckabee if he was “moved” by alleged starvation in Gaza.
“I’m moved when the photos are verified,” Huckabee stated. Then he continued in a section that was not aired: “I mean, we’re all moved when you see someone, especially a child who’s starving. But the New York Times published a picture on the front page of what was purported to be a starving child. Turns out the child had a birth defect and had not been starving. There were other pictures, for example, that were published of starving children in Gaza. Turned out one of them was from Yemen.”
“I think that there are certainly people suffering in Gaza,” Huckabee continued. Then he explained why in another section that was not aired: “Part of the reason is, is because you’ve had pallets and trucks full of food that the UN won’t take in because they say they don’t want military escort from IDF, but they say it’s not safe, and 87% of their own food every time they do take it in gets hijacked and looted. That’s their numbers. Those aren’t mine. I didn’t make that up. That’s what they report. So there’s not been a lack of food or even a lack of attempt. It’s been an inefficient way of getting it in. It’s been a problem because you have a terror organization who is stealing it, looting it, and then turning around and selling it to the people who are hungry. And one thing that’s true certain is that Hamas is not feeding hostages. Where’s the Red Cross? Where’s the Red Crescent? How come they haven’t demanded that the hostages get fed?”
“We spoke to the World Food Program, and they have not been shown any evidence of this at all,” Patta insisted.
“Are you telling me they say that their food has not been looted?” Huckabee asked incredulously.
“No, I’m saying there’s no evidence that it’s been diverted to Hamas. They’re not saying it’s not being looted. What they’re saying…” Patta persisted.
“I am shocked they would say that,” Huckabee responded.
Another section CBS News chose not to air: Huckabee stated, “Hamas made half a billion dollars last year, 500 million U.S. dollars stealing food, selling it on the black market in order to finance their activities. That’s stunning. That’s a real business they have. They put it in warehouses. Yes, there have been some of the just regular population who are looting the trucks. One of the things we heard at GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation) feeding sites was people, when they first started coming, they said, well, this is the first time you didn’t have to pay for the food. They were used to having to buy a food from Hamas at prices that Hamas was inflating because they stole something. And then they turned around and sell it.”
“Every single day there are people dying near GHF sites,” Patta said.
Then, this non-aired exchange:
<blockquote>
Patta claiming, ‘They’re being shot, allegedly, according to either countless, and we have interviewed just the other day a private security contractor, not a security contractor, a private civilian contractor who drove the truck and has provided us with new video of constant shooting at these GHF sites, he says, by both Americans and IDF soldiers, live ammunition being used as a form…
“Could you show that video to me, because I have not seen it,” Huckabee answered. “ “No one in the U.S. government has seen it. And frankly, we have no reports. And we get reports every single day from all four feeding sites. When someone says something like that, I say, I don’t believe it, until you show it to me.”
</blockquote>
“We’ve had reports that there have been incidences,” Huckabee says in the video, but then this is elided: “But we’ve also had reports one day that there were 27 people killed at a GHF site. We had the video to show that no one was even injured. Much less killed. But it went all over the world, the New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, CNN all reported it turned out as a total hoax. It’s never happened. Did those media companies come back, some of them with a tiny little correction in the fine print, but the story went out there that 27 people had been murdered at the GHF side. It never happened.”
Patta quoted the virulently anti-Israel <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165552">Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights</a>, of which the notoriously vicious Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese is a member, saying, According to the UN, 1400 people have been killed. Mostly, they say, by IDF gunfire, nearly 900 by GHF sites.”
Another section elided: Huckabee responded, “My gosh &#8230; who would be for people being killed getting aid but here’s what Gazans told me when I was there last week. The people who live in Gaza, the people, the ones who are going to get the food, said that they did not hate the IDF, and they loved the Americans. But they hated Hamas because every single one of them with Hamas had had some family members in their clan who had been murdered by Hamas when they were trying to get food so who’s doing the killing? That’s a good question. You honestly think it’s some U.S. contractors, or it’s the IDF just gunning people down. Or is it Hamas, who have tried to keep people from getting to the feeding sites for a simple reason, because it’s business to them. If they can keep people from getting the free food, then they can sell the food that was supposed to be given to them for free. That’s what no one seems to be wanting to talk about. Why not?”
CBS News aired Patta saying, “Increasingly strong language is being used about Israel’s prosecution of this war, including from Israeli organizations, they’ve been accused of genocide.”
They aired Huckabee responding, “If Israel is attempting genocide, they’re really, really bad at it. They could have had genocide on October the eighth.”
They did not air what followed; Huckabee saying: “They could have dropped a few bombs and have annihilated all Gazans, it’s not that big an area. They certainly had the capacity to do it, and saw that in the 12-day war with Iran. It is the most ridiculous thing in the world to say that Israel is committing genocide. That’s absurd. On its face. It’s absurd.”

Huckabee Rips CBS News For Selectively Editing His Remarks About Israel To Mislead Audience

Ambassador Huckabee Says CBS News Selectively Edited His Remarks About Israel

CBS News

Hamas

Media

Media Bias

Poltiics

Steve Witkoff, the United States Special Envoy to the Middle East, and Mike Huckabee, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, toured a humanitarian aid distribution site operated by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) today, as the organization marked the distribution of its 100 millionth meal.
For more than five hours, Witkoff and Huckabee observed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distributing aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip and assessed site conditions to report back to President Donald Trump on the group’s ongoing work.
Witkoff said the purpose of the visit was to give Trump “a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-department-slams-senate-democrats-over-calls-to-defund-gaza-humanitarian-foundation?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=State+Department+Slams+Senate+Democrats+Over+Calls+To+Defund+Gaza+Humanitarian+Foundation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">STATE DEPARTMENT SLAMS SENATE DEMOCRATS OVER CALLS TO DEFUND GAZA HUMANITARIAN FOUNDATION</a>
Witkoff is currently on a multi-day trip to Israel, where he has met with Israeli officials to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The tour included briefings with the Israeli Defense Forces and speaking to “folks on the ground.” Witkoff — who was wearing a Make America Great Again hat— posted a photo of him shaking the hand of a Gazan woman.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
At <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@POTUS</a>’s direction, <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbIsrael?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@USAmbIsrael</a> and I met yesterday with Israeli officials to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Today, we spent over five hours inside Gaza — level setting the facts on the ground, assessing conditions, and meeting with <a href="https://twitter.com/GHFUpdates?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@GHFUpdates</a> and other… <a href="https://t.co/aCtLuMuhq1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/aCtLuMuhq1</a>
— Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (@SEPeaceMissions) <a href="https://twitter.com/SEPeaceMissions/status/1951281182286500025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">August 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
“President Trump understands the stakes in Gaza and that feeding civilians, not Hamas, must be the priority,” GHF Spokesperson Chapin Fay said in a statement. “Today he sent his envoy to serve as his eyes and ears on the ground, reflecting his deep concern and commitment to doing what’s right.”
GHF is responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-humanitarian-aid-delivered-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=15&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Sends+Aid+To+Gaza.+Israel+Will+Not+Distribute+It." target="_blank" rel="noopener">aid initiative</a>, which aims to deliver humanitarian aid directly to Gazan civilians while preventing Hamas from intercepting supplies — a challenge that has persisted since the war began.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-new-footage-shows-un-convoy-driving-into-mob-of-gazans-casualties-reported?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+New+Footage+Shows+UN+Convoy+Driving+Into+Mob+Of+Gazans%2C+Casualties+Reported" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EXCLUSIVE: NEW FOOTAGE SHOWS UN CONVOY DRIVING INTO MOB OF GAZANS, CASUALTIES REPORTED</a>
“GHF delivers more than one million meals a day, an incredible feat!” Huckabee posted.
GHF hit a milestone on Friday by distributing its 100 millionth meal since launching operations to feed Gazan civilians on May 26.
According to GHF, their aid boxes include enough food to feed a family of 5.5 three times a day for 3.5 days. Items vary depending on availability, cost, and other factors but are built off of similar ingredient lists used by other humanitarian groups.
“Gaza is one of the most complex operating environments in the world, and we are very proud of the incredible work our dedicated team has accomplished,” GHF Executive Chairman Rev. Johnnie Moore said in a statement. “However, the milestone is bittersweet given the continued shortage of aid coming into Gaza from other humanitarian groups who either lack the ability to safely deliver it or the willingness to work with those who can.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-kingdom-threatens-to-recognize-state-of-palestine-if-israel-doesnt-agree-to-ceasefire?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=United+Kingdom+Threatens+To+Recognize+‘State+of+Palestine’+If+Israel+Doesn’t+Agree+To+Ceasefire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNITED KINGDOM THREATENS TO RECOGNIZE ‘STATE OF PALESTINE’ IF ISRAEL DOESN’T AGREE TO CEASEFIRE</a>
<a href="https://app.un2720.org/tracking/intercepted" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to United Nations</a> data, between May and July of this year, 1,753 trucks meant to distribute aid were “intercepted either peacefully by hungry civilians or forcefully by armed actors,” leaving a limited number of trucks to successfully arrive at UN warehouses.
A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-new-footage-shows-un-convoy-driving-into-mob-of-gazans-casualties-reported?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+New+Footage+Shows+UN+Convoy+Driving+Into+Mob+Of+Gazans%2C+Casualties+Reported" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video obtained</a> by The Daily Wire shows a chaotic scene in southern Gaza last Thursday, as more than a dozen UN aid trucks enter a dense crowd along the Morag route. As the convoy attempts to pass through, a mob swarms the vehicles, climbing aboard and looting the supplies.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
EXCLUSIVE: A new video obtained by The Daily Wire shows a chaotic scene in southern Gaza last Thursday, where Gazans swarm and loot a U.N. aid convoy.
The IDF says it received reports of casualties in the same area and on the same day involving aid trucks. <a href="https://t.co/TP0hhl0bms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/TP0hhl0bms</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1950605086058598840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
Due to the constant looting of UN trucks, GHF has repeatedly offered to help the UN distribute aid, but the offer has gone unanswered. Instead, the UN has continued <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/well-break-your-legs-un-accused-of-mafia-type-response-to-u-s-led-gaza-relief-efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to vilify</a> the group.
The GHF has pushed back on accusations that its distribution sites are dangerous, noting that aid supplies are emptied daily by Gazan civilians, many of whom express thanks for the free assistance.
“The media says our sites are a death trap, but our workers are interacting with these people every day,” Johnnie Moore, the GHF executive chairman, said. “We see at our distribution sites something people haven’t seen in a long time in the Gaza Strip: we see smiles every single day on the faces of women, on the faces of children.”
According to GHF, security issues at its sites have been limited and are typically instigated by individuals the GHF believes are affiliated with Hamas. Incidents include <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-veterans-injured-in-grenade-attack-while-distributing-aid-in-gaza" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a grenade attack</a> by terrorists that injured two American contractors, and a stampede earlier this month triggered by armed men inciting chaos in the crowd that resulted in the deaths of 20 Gazan civilians.

Witkoff and Huckabee

Witkoff And Huckabee Tour Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Site As Group Distributes 100 Millionth Meal

Donald Trump

Gaza

Steve Witkoff

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Tuesday, President Donald Trump, in his inimitable style, forcefully dismissed the idea of recognizing a Palestinian state, declaring that it would be rewarding the terrorist group Hamas if such a thing eventuated.
“Is there any use at all in pressuring Israel now to come to some sort of longer-term solution?” a reporter asked.
“Well, you could make the case that you’re rewarding people, that you’re rewarding Hamas if you do that,” Trump replied. “And I don’t think they should be rewarded. So I’m not in that camp, to be honest. We’ll let you know where we are, but I am not in that camp, because if you do that, you really are rewarding Hamas, and I’m not about to do that.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Trump on creating a Palestinian state:
“If you do that, you really are rewarding Hamxs, and I’m not about to do that.” <a href="https://t.co/knZpcgG1E4">pic.twitter.com/knZpcgG1E4</a>
&mdash; Open Source Intel (@Osint613) <a href="https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/1950508644665311254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A conference has been held this week by the United Nations, sponsored by Saudi Arabia and France, to discuss the eventual declaration of a Palestinian state, which French President Emanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer support.
Author David Harris pointed out, “In 1938, 2 countries tried to appease genocidal Nazi Germany by sacrificing Czechoslovakia. Britain &amp; France.  In 2025, 2 countries try to appease genocidal #Hamas by sacrificing #Israel. Britain &amp; France.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
In 1938, 2 countries tried to appease genocidal Nazi Germany by sacrificing Czechoslovakia.
Britain &amp; France.
In 2025, 2 countries try to appease genocidal <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hamas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hamas</a> by sacrificing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Israel?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Israel</a>.
Britain &amp; France.
&quot;The more things change, the more they stay the same.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/81OOS7pyqj">pic.twitter.com/81OOS7pyqj</a>
&mdash; David Harris (@DavidHarrisNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidHarrisNY/status/1950507961408684152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Famed Israeli hostage Emily Damari, a dual British-Israeli citizen who was held by Hamas for 471 days and lost two fingers after she was seized in the October 7, 2023, massacre Hamas and Gazan citizens perpetrated, in which they killed more than 1200 Israelis, fired back at Starmer:
<blockquote>
As a Dual British-Israeli citizen who survived 471 days in Hamas captivity, I am deeply saddened by your decision @Keir_Starmer to recognise Palestinian statehood. This move does not advance peace — it risks rewarding terror. It sends a dangerous message: that violence earns legitimacy. By legitimising a state entity while Hamas still controls Gaza and continues its campaign of terror, you are not promoting a solution; you are prolonging the conflict. Recognition under these conditions emboldens extremists and undermines any hope for genuine peace. Shame on you.
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
As a Dual British-Israeli citizen who survived 471 days in Hamas captivity, I am deeply saddened by your decision <a href="https://twitter.com/Keir_Starmer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Keir_Starmer</a> to recognise Palestinian statehood. This move does not advance peace—it risks rewarding terror. It sends a dangerous message: that violence earns… <a href="https://t.co/G4DF5AWgjT">https://t.co/G4DF5AWgjT</a>
&mdash; Emily Damari (@EmilyDamari1) <a href="https://twitter.com/EmilyDamari1/status/1950503052282101987?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After Macron declared he would recognize a Palestinian state, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Christian broadcaster Tony Perkins:
<blockquote>
If Macron wants to have a secondary motion here for a state for “Palestine,” I suggested that what he should do is just give a part of the French Riviera, because he never said where this nation needs to be, this Palestinian state, or when it should be. So I suggest let’s make it French Riviera, and we can call it “Franc-en-stine.” That way everybody’s happy and Macron gets what he wants.  
And also, when one nation can just declare another place on the earth to be a state, then I think it would be fitting if the U.K. would declare France to be  British colony. Why not? This was outrageous for Macron to do this, and it came at a horrible time. It basically is a reward to Hamas and that’s one of the reasons they became unreasonable in talks to end the war in Gaza.
</blockquote>
Asked about a non-binding resolution, the Israeli Knesset discussed declaring sovereignty over the Biblical areas of Judea and Samaria as the U.N. discussed declaring a Palestinian state, Huckabee replied:
<blockquote>
When Europe and other areas of the world decide they’re going to start telling Israel that it’s got to let Hamas stay in Gaza, or that it’s going to declare unilaterally a Palestinian state, the reaction in Israel is not to surrender. The reaction in Israel is to say, “Okay, you want to do that? Then here’s what we’re gonna do. And what happened in the Knesset this week was a message that should be understood not only in the Palestinian Authority — who were pushing some of these European nations to take this position — but it ought to be a message to the Europeans that when you go out there and you start pushing Israel to surrender, their response is going to be the same any decent country would be: It’s to bow up and say, “Oh, no, we’re not. We’ll just get stronger, tougher, and we’ll dig in.”
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President Trump Returns To The White House From Scotland

Trump Warns Against ‘Rewarding Hamas’ With Palestinian Statehood, Bluntly Rejects Two-State Solution

Emmanuel Macron

Keir Starmer

Palestinians

United Nations

President Donald Trump on Tuesday <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114698784693311065">posted</a> a personal text message about the Israel-Iran conflict from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fierce-israel-supporter-mike-huckabee-confirmed-as-ambassador-to-israel">Mike Huckabee</a>, who is serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel. 
Huckabee, a former Christian pastor, told Trump that he believes God saved his life during an assassination attempt last year so he could serve in this moment, listen to God&#8217;s voice, and act accordingly in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-israel-strikes-iran?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=LIVE+UPDATES%3A+Israel+Eliminates+More+Iranian+Commanders+As+Trump+Weighs+In">high-stakes conflict between Israel and Iran</a>.
&#8220;Mr. President, God spared you in Butler, PA, to be the most consequential president in a century &#8212; maybe ever,&#8221; Huckabee wrote. &#8220;The decisions on your shoulders, I would not want to be made by anybody else.&#8221;
&#8220;You have many voices speaking to you Sir, but there is only ONE voice that matters,&#8221; the former Arkansas governor told Trump. &#8220;HIS voice.&#8221;
Huckabee noted that Trump appointed him as ambassador to Israel, emphasizing that he trusts Trump&#8217;s &#8220;instincts.&#8221;
&#8220;No president in my lifetime has been in a position like yours. Not since Truman in 1945,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t reach out to persuade you. Only to encourage you. I believe you will hear from heaven and that voice is far more important than mine or ANYONE else&#8217;s.&#8221;
&#8220;You sent me to Israel to be your eyes, ears, and voice and to make sure our flag flies above our embassy. My job is to be the last one to leave. I will not abandon this post. Our flag will NOT come down!&#8221;
&#8220;You did not seek this moment. This moment sought YOU!&#8221; Huckabee concluded. &#8220;It is my honor to serve you!&#8221;
Former Trump administration White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany posted a screenshot of Huckabee&#8217;s note to Trump on X. &#8220;Huckabee&#8217;s message is so WISE and divinely inspired,&#8221; she captioned the image. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> just posted this message from <a href="https://twitter.com/GovMikeHuckabee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovMikeHuckabee</a> on Truth Social.
Huckabee&#8217;s message is so WISE and divinely inspired:
&#8220;God spared you in Butler, PA to be the most consequential President in a century&#8211;maybe ever&#8230; You have many voices speaking to… <a href="https://t.co/sqCs4J3NVm">pic.twitter.com/sqCs4J3NVm</a>
— Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) <a href="https://twitter.com/kayleighmcenany/status/1934969500660551883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
Trump captioned the message from Huckabee on Truth Social: &#8220;From Mike Huckabee, a Pastor, Politician, Ambassador, and Great Person!&#8221; 
On June 13, Israel started targeting nuclear facilities, military leaders, and state media in Iran in what it called &#8220;preemptive strikes.&#8221; The nation is continuing its efforts, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the conflict <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/netanyahu-killing-irans-supreme-leader-would-end-the-conflict?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Netanyahu%3A+Killing+Iran%E2%80%99s+Supreme+Leader+Would+%E2%80%98End+The+Conflict%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">would end</a> if Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei were killed, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-a-ceasefire-trump-reveals-what-hes-looking-for-with-israel-iran-conflict?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=‘Not+A+Ceasefire’%3A+Trump+Reveals+What+He’s+‘Looking+For’+With+Israel-Iran+Conflict">The Daily Wire</a> reported.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-a-ceasefire-trump-reveals-what-hes-looking-for-with-israel-iran-conflict?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=‘Not+A+Ceasefire’%3A+Trump+Reveals+What+He’s+‘Looking+For’+With+Israel-Iran+Conflict">said</a> on Tuesday that he wants “a real end” to the conflict between Israel and Iran, adding that a mere ceasefire isn’t enough.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-israel-strikes-iran?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=LIVE+UPDATES%3A+Israel+Eliminates+More+Iranian+Commanders+As+Trump+Weighs+In">LIVE UPDATES: Israel Eliminates More Iranian Commanders As Trump Weighs In</a>

Trump Campaign

US Ambassador To Israel Mike Huckabee Praises Trump In Personal Text Message

Executive

Iran

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s call to shut down the Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA) and consolidate its operations into the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem is a timely and welcome move that restores clarity and coherence to American diplomacy in the region. The decision not only aligns with U.S. law and longstanding policy, but also reflects a realistic appraisal of the current geopolitical landscape.
The OPA operated as a quasi-independent diplomatic mission to the Palestinian Authority, with its head reporting directly to the State Department rather than to the U.S. Ambassador in Jerusalem. Its presence in the heart of Jerusalem, separate from the embassy, created confusion about America’s stance on the city’s status and appeared to circumvent both Israeli sovereignty and the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and directs that the U.S. embassy be located there.
This arrangement wasn’t new. The Trump administration closed the OPA in 2019 for precisely these reasons, merging its responsibilities into the newly established U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. That decision was consistent with President Trump’s broader effort to reshape American policy in the Middle East by acknowledging geopolitical realities rather than clinging to outdated diplomatic frameworks.
When the Biden administration reopened the OPA in 2022, it reignited controversy. The move was met with strong opposition from Israel, which declined to grant the office formal diplomatic status. The OPA resumed operations nonetheless, conducting outreach to the Palestinian Authority while sidestepping coordination with the embassy. In one notable instance, the office called for Israeli “restraint” in its response to the October 2023 Hamas attacks, just a day after the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Such unilateral statements only deepened concerns about the office’s role and legitimacy.
Moreover, the OPA’s treatment of American citizens — particularly dual Israeli-American nationals — raised serious questions. Reports that such individuals were denied consular services through the OPA, and instead redirected to other diplomatic channels, suggested a politicized approach to basic diplomatic duties.
If the United States wishes to maintain constructive relations with the Palestinian people, those efforts should be directed either through the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem or through a diplomatic office in Ramallah, where the Palestinian Authority is based. The OPA’s placement in Jerusalem signaled an unresolved stance on the city’s status — a stance that contradicts both American law and policy.
Secretary Rubio’s proposal to close the OPA and fold its functions into the existing embassy structure is a common-sense step that reflects the reality on the ground. It reinforces the U.S.–Israel alliance, upholds American law, and eliminates a source of unnecessary diplomatic friction. It also brings U.S. policy in line with a broader strategic vision — one that prioritizes stability, mutual recognition, and pragmatic engagement over symbolic gestures.
The Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy (JCAP), among others, has long called for this change. Their conversations with members of Congress and the administration emphasized not only the legal inconsistencies of the OPA but also its potential to undermine both Israeli sovereignty and American credibility in the region.
Going forward, additional policy adjustments should follow this logic. Suspending aid and even shutting down UNRWA, reviewing funding for UNESCO and other UN agencies that undermine Israel’s sovereignty, and supporting Israel’s development efforts in Jerusalem are all aligned with a coherent and values-driven U.S. foreign policy. These steps reinforce not only America’s partnership with Israel but also its broader interest in a secure and stable Middle East.
Secretary Rubio’s leadership on this issue marks a step toward restoring diplomatic focus and credibility. In a region long burdened by ambiguity and contradiction, such clarity is both overdue and necessary.
* * *
Chaim Silberstein is the Founder and President of the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy (JCAP.ngo), where Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, Esq. serves as Senior Research Associate.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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President Trump Holds National Day of Prayer Event In Rose Garden

Rubio’s Closure Of Palestinian Affairs Office Marks A Needed Return To Diplomatic Clarity

Rubio's Closure Of Palestinian Affairs Office Marks A Needed Return To Diplomatic Clarity

Embassy

Jerusalem

Marco Rubio

In the wake of the release of American-Israeli Edan Alexander by the terrorist group Hamas, which still holds dozens of hostages abducted in their October 7, 2023, massacre of over 1,200 Israelis, some prominent GOP leaders were undeterred in urging that the terrorist group be eliminated.
Hamas released Alexander, apparently to curry favor with the U.S., as Israel has blocked aid into Gaza, where Hamas has routinely seized supplies intended for civilians and reportedly <a href="https://www.jns.org/hamas-steals-food-from-its-citizens-yet-israel-gets-blamed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resold them on the black market</a>.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) responded to the freeing of Alexander by writing, “Hamas terrorists brutally tortured Edan Alexander and held him hostage for 19 months. Thanks to @POTUS ’s strength and leadership, Edan on his way home. We’re glad he’s heading home but this should have never happened. We demand justice for all of those still held hostage and we stand with Israel in the fight to eliminate Hamas.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Hamas terrorists brutally tortured Edan Alexander and held him hostage for 19 months. Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>’s strength and leadership, Edan on his way home.
We’re glad he’s heading home but this should have never happened. 
We demand justice for all of those still held hostage and… <a href="https://t.co/J7yvbuX2rf">https://t.co/J7yvbuX2rf</a>
&mdash; Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1922016356729258349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), a veteran who served in the war in Iraq as a platoon leader with the 101st Airborne Division and led a 41-man air assault, echoed, “After more than 580 days in captivity Edan Alexander is free from Hamas terrorists. I commend President Trump for his tireless efforts to free the hostages. And we should encourage Israel to keep up the pressure to destroy Hamas and bring all the hostages home.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
After more than 580 days in captivity Edan Alexander is free from Hamas terrorists. I commend President Trump for his tireless efforts to free the hostages. And we should encourage Israel to keep up the pressure to destroy Hamas and bring all the hostages home.
&mdash; Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTomCotton/status/1922002968200585425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) maintained a vigilant eye on Iran, for whom Hamas acts as a murderous proxy, writing, “While negotiating with Iran, the goal must be full dismantlement of their nuclear program. The Biden administration allowed them to build out their nuclear program for four years while keeping the cameras off. If they are allowed to keep any part of the program, they will be able to cheat — and the Ayatollah has cheated on every deal he&#8217;s ever signed.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
While negotiating with Iran, the goal must be full dismantlement of their nuclear program. 
The Biden administration allowed them to build out their nuclear program for four years while keeping the cameras off. If they are allowed to keep any part of the program, they will be… <a href="https://t.co/XkLtZ1VTZT">pic.twitter.com/XkLtZ1VTZT</a>
&mdash; Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTedCruz/status/1921954233982542124?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And to dispel rumors that President Trump and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are undergoing a frostiness in their relationship, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee chimed in, “Excellent meeting w/     ⁦ @IsraeliPM. Cooperative efforts with ⁦@POTUS ⁩&amp; ⁦@IsraeliPM ⁩resulted in Edan Alexander release. Witkoff, &amp; Huckabee meet ahead of hostage release. Forget rumors. We’re all on same page.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Excellent meeting w/ ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IsraeliPM</a>⁩. Cooperative efforts with ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>⁩ &amp; ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IsraeliPM</a>⁩ resulted in Edan Alexander release. Witkoff, &amp; Huckabee meet ahead of hostage release. Forget rumors. We’re all on same page. <a href="https://t.co/UrKsxtUWSS">https://t.co/UrKsxtUWSS</a>
&mdash; Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovMikeHuckabee/status/1921946025247318251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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MixCollage-12-May-2025-06-19-PM-5287

Top GOP Members Of Congress Undeterred After Hostage Release: ‘Eliminate Hamas’

Mike Johnson

Ted Cruz

Tom Cotton

World

United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee presented his credentials last week to Israel’s President, Yitzchak Herzog, and immediately demonstrated why he is the right person for this vital position at this critical time. It is true that Ambassador Huckabee has visited Israel more than 100 times, in his capacity as a Baptist preacher leading his congregation and as a politician accompanying his constituents, but even more importantly, he understands Israel, its uniqueness, its role in history, its abiding friendship with the United States, and its challenges.
Huckabee declared at the reception that he returns to Israel with “absolute joy and an overwhelming sense of awe that I am in a land where G-d Himself said, ‘This is mine, and these are My people.’” Such sentiments are not often expressed in Israel and not articulated often enough by Jews but they provide the foundation for defining the rightful place of the State of Israel, its reason for existence, and even the relentless antagonism of its enemies. The land of Israel was not only the land of the Bible in ancient times; it remains the land of the Bible and awaits the fulfillment of the prophetic vision of the future. Perceived through that prism, Israel’s struggles against implacable foes take on a new light that is visible only to someone who shares Ambassador Huckabee’s perspective.
Indeed, it is hard to imagine another ambassador having visited the country to which he was posted 100 times before assuming the role. It means that Huckabee’s commitment to Israel’s security stems from his correct understanding of America’s place in the world and its capacity to foster good and promote peace and prosperity.
So, what should be on Ambassador Huckabee’s agenda, especially mindful that he is the U.S. Ambassador who should advance American interests in the region?
The Ambassador has been outspoken in recent years as to the non-viability of a Palestinian state in the land of Israel, now rendered especially incongruous and perilous in light of the Hamas massacre of October 7, the ongoing war, and the Palestinian Authority’s reluctance to condemn that war. As ambassador, he can thwart the subtle encroachment towards a Palestinian state favored by Europe and some elements in the United States by reiterating a number of steps taken during the first Trump administration. He can again shutter the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA), located on Agron Street in the western part of Jerusalem, which was revived by the Biden administration in violation of U.S. and Israeli law and functioned as a quasi-diplomatic mission to the Palestinians. During the first Trump term, this office was closed, and its services provided out of the American embassy in Jerusalem to which it reported directly.
The OPA as currently constituted is an affront to Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem. Ambassador Huckabee, together with Israel’s Foreign Ministry, can use his good offices to limit or halt the activities of the several European consulates that are located in Jerusalem and operate as missions to the Palestinian Authority in defiance of Israeli and international law. The ambassador can persuade, and certainly the U.S. government can act, to support Israel’s closure of these hostile outposts in the heart of Jerusalem.
<div id="attachment_914553" style="width: 840px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-914553" class="size-large wp-image-914553" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2206862784-830x576.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 25: Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be ambassador to Israel, testifies during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Huckabee, the former governor and presidential candidate, answered questions on Israel and its campaign against Hamas. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)" width="830" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2206862784-830x576.jpg 830w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2206862784-300x208.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2206862784-768x533.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2206862784.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px" />Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images</div>
The Ambassador can urge the State Department to finally designate “Jerusalem, Israel” as an official place of birth on American passports. The State Department has long embraced the chimera that Jerusalem’s status as part of Israel — as Israel’s capital, no less — is somehow still subject to the outcome of negotiations. This policy should be repudiated and U.S. citizens born in Jerusalem who so desire should have their place of birth recorded as “Jerusalem, Israel.”
Ambassador Huckabee should also encourage the Trump administration to follow through on its temporary suspension of funding to UNRWA and make that suspension permanent. UNRWA, although barred by Israeli law from operating in Jerusalem, still maneuvers behind the scenes, controlling schools and in some cases economic development while advancing the interests of Hamas, with which it was integrally linked during the Gaza War. Cutting aid and resigning from UNESCO, another UN organization that is antagonistic to Israel and the United States, is also an American interest.
Additionally, for many decades under Democratic administrations, any type of residential or commercial building in Jerusalem by Jews – not by Arabs – drew immediate condemnations from the State Department. This too must end, and the ambassador is well positioned, as is President Trump, a real estate mogul, to take the lead in supporting Israel’s plans to construct new neighborhoods in Jerusalem and even to explore the expansion of Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries to encompass satellite towns on its periphery.
To his great credit, President Trump has appointed two distinguished emissaries to Israel – David Friedman in his first term and Mike Huckabee in his current term. A person of faith, such as Ambassador Huckabee, deeply understands the centrality of Israel in the narrative of world history. But this ambassador also deeply understands the Israel of the future, and the pivotal role played by the city of Jerusalem, and even more how a secure and prosperous Israel will strengthen the United States and bring the world closer to the vision of peace on earth.
* * *
Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, Esq., is Senior Research Associate at the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy (JCAP.ngo).
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Mike Huckabee speaks after being sworn in as ambassador to Israel.

Why Mike Huckabee Is The Right Man For Israel

Ambassador

Bible

Middle East

Opinion

State Department

Trump Administration

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a staunch supporter of Israel, presented his credentials today to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, officially making him the United States Ambassador to Israel.
Speaking at the President&#8217;s Residence in Jerusalem and fighting back tears, Huckabee recounted how President Donald Trump had told him he would take the role.
“I never talked to him about it, I never had a conversation with him,” Huckabee said. “I got a call out of the clear blue, just a few days after the election. If you know President Trump, he did not say, ‘Would you think about going, have you ever considered?’ He simply called and said, ‘Mike, you’re going to be my ambassador to Israel.’ Just as simple as that. You don’t say no to him.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Amb. <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbIsrael?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@USAmbIsrael</a> at a ceremony for starting his role as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel today:
&#8220;I felt it was not so much saying yes to a president—it was certainly that—but it was yes to a calling from God himself to come and fulfill what I believe what is not just a job, but a… <a href="https://t.co/jtD1m96FBY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/jtD1m96FBY</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1914373109584380104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Huckabee, a devout Evangelical Christian, said that although Trump gave him the position, he believes it was God’s work.
&#8220;I felt it was not so much saying yes to a president — it was certainly that — but it was yes to a calling from God himself to come and fulfill what I believe is not just a job, but a mission.&#8221;
Upon arriving in Israel, Huckabee took a note from President Trump to the Western Wall, a remnant of King Herod’s expansion of the Temple Mount during the Second Temple Period, where Jews have prayed for nearly a thousand years since the destruction of the temple. Huckabee placed the note, which read &#8216;For peace in Israel,&#8217; into the wall, following tradition.
Huckabee expressed gratitude for the role and said he was well prepared to serve, having taken more than 100 trips to Israel in his life.
“I am here, not just as a visitor, but now for the next few years — unless the president tweets something early in the morning and tells me to come home — this will be my home for the next four years,” he said.
Amid anti-Israel sentiments on both the Right and Left in America, Huckabee made the case for the United States’ continued relationship with Israel.
“I never want Americans to think that we Americans are not greatly benefited by our partnership with our ally Israel,” Huckabee said. “We benefit dramatically in the sharing of intelligence, the sharing of technology, and the sharing of agricultural innovation, in which Israel has led the world.”
The Senate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fierce-israel-supporter-mike-huckabee-confirmed-as-ambassador-to-israel?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Fierce+Israel+Supporter+Mike+Huckabee+Confirmed+As+Ambassador+To+Israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed Huckabee earlier</a> this month in a 53–46 vote, mostly along party lines, with the exception of Democratic Senator John Fetterman, who has been a fierce defender of Israel since Hamas&#8217; October 7 attack on Israeli civilians.
In a memorable moment during his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mike-huckabee-trumps-pick-for-u-s-ambassador-to-israel-faces-senators-live-updates?author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=LIVE+UPDATES%3A+Mike+Huckabee%2C+Trump%E2%80%99s+Pick+For+U.S.+Ambassador+To+Israel%2C+Faces+Senators" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmation hearing</a>, Huckabee took aim at Hamas for its massacre.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Really powerful statements from Mike Huckabee about Hamas&#8217;s actions on October 7 during his confirmation hearing to become U.S. Ambassador to Israel.
&#8220;They massacred them and they did it in a way that was most physically painful and in a way that was most personally… <a href="https://t.co/ZQhBOlqE9H" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/ZQhBOlqE9H</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1904551356955828571?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;This was not simply a cold-blooded murder in which people came across the borders and shot innocent people,&#8221; Huckabee said. &#8220;They massacred them, and they did it in a way that was most physically painful and in a way that was most personally humiliating. And worse, they videotaped themselves doing it because they were proud of it.
Huckabee added that Hamas said they would do it again.
&#8220;Hamas is not a government, it&#8217;s not a standing army. It&#8217;s a terrorist organization, and they acted like it, and they must be treated as such.&#8221;
Huckabee also pointed out Hamas has been holding hostages longer than Iran did after the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979.
He added that making peace with Palestinians is difficult because of the Jew-hatred indoctrination in Palestinian-controlled areas.
“With the ongoing doctrine where compensation is given to those who murder Jews, parks and streets are named for those who do it, pensions are given to the families of those who are killed in the line of killing Jews, senator, that&#8217;s a difficult pathway to peace,” he said. “The two-state solution, the notion that everyone is going to live together, toast marshmallows around the campfire, singing Kumbaya, and it’s going to happen in our lifetime, is not going to happen if one of the sides doesn&#8217;t believe the other has a right to exist.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Huckabee on why peace with the Palestinians is difficult
“Compensation is given to those who murder Jews, parks and streets are named for those who do it, pensions are given to families of those who are killed in the line of killing Jews&#8230; that’s a difficult pathway to peace.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/LXCuiRClWr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/LXCuiRClWr</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1904570958175674655?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Huckabee has been an unapologetic defender of Israel and supporter of Christian-Israeli relations during his career.
In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri3Y-Mqc-_A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">podcast episode</a> for the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Huckabee spoke of the importance of the fellowship of faith between Christians and Jews.
“This is a biblical mandate, and we need to stand on it and recognize that we should never ever allow the Jewish people to feel that they’re alone again,” he said.
Huckabee has been an even stronger defender of Israel following Hamas’ October 7 massacre of Israeli civilians.
“The worst level of evil that exists on our planet today we saw on October 7th,” Huckabee said in the podcast. “For anyone to march in the streets, whether it’s America or Europe, and to show support for this uncivilized and savage behavior to me is a mark of darkness in our world.”
Huckabee visited Kibbutz Kfar Aza — one of the hardest hit by terrorists — in December. At the site of the carnage, he declared, “If we don’t stand with Israel, we stand for chaos,” <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/devastation-of-gaza-border-towns-a-gut-punch-says-huckabee-during-evangelical-tour/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported the Times of Israel</a>.
Huckabee has also been a <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/huckabee-israels-claim-to-judea-and-samaria-stronger-than-us-tie-to-manhattan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strong supporter</a> of Israel’s claim to Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank, once arguing that Israel’s historical connection to the region, spanning thousands of years, is even stronger than America’s 400-year connection to Manhattan.
“If I came and said, we need to end our occupation of Manhattan, I’m pretty sure that most Americans would find that laughable,” he said. “The Israelis have a strong connection to Judea and Samaria.”

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Mike Huckabee Starts Role As U.S. Ambassador To Israel: ‘Calling From God Himself’

On Wednesday, former Arkansas GOP governor and staunch Evangelical Christian Mike Huckabee was confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel in a 53-46 vote mostly along party lines in the Senate, with Pennsylvania Democrat Senator John Fetterman being the lone Democrat to vote for him.
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Confirmed, 53-46: Confirmation of Executive Calendar #67 Mike Huckabee to be Ambassador to the State of Israel.
&mdash; Senate Cloakroom (@SenateCloakroom) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenateCloakroom/status/1910015728457318844?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Mike has been a lifelong friend of Israel and an ardent supporter and defender of Israel’s right to exist,” Arkansas GOP senator Tom Cotton <a href="https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/speeches/cotton-supports-mike-huckabees-confirmation-as-ambassador-to-israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> in championing the nomination. “ In 1973, Mike made his first trip to Israel as a recent high school graduate. The experience of visiting the Biblical sites at the center of history had such a profound impact on the 17-year-old Mike Huckabee that he would go on to lead tens of thousands of people on similarly life-changing visits.”
In 2017, Huckabee made it clear that he believed that the Biblical lands of Judea and Samaria — where virtually all the events recorded in the Bible took place — were part of the Jewish homeland, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/03/politics/huckabee-west-bank-settlements/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a>, “I think Israel has title deed to Judea and Samaria. There are certain words I refuse to use. There is no such thing as a West Bank. It’s Judea and Samaria. There’s no such thing as a settlement. They’re communities; they’re neighborhoods; they’re cities. There’s no such thing as an occupation.”
Even before President Trump moved the American embassy to Jerusalem in his first term, Huckabee said, “The only people who have ever had Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) as a capital have been the Jews. Nobody else has ever made this city a capital, ever. So it shouldn’t even be controversial. Now it will be, but it shouldn’t be.”
In 2015, Huckabee <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/andrewkaczynski/huckabee-two-state-solution-is-irrational-unworkable-plenty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> bluntly, “I think it&#8217;s time for us to quit playing this pretentious game that there&#8217;s gonna be a two-state solution where both sides share the same country and real estate and streets &#8217;cause they&#8217;re not. One of the sides, the Palestinians, continue to say that Israel doesn&#8217;t have a right to exist. You can&#8217;t forge an alliance with that.”
“We never can accept the notion that Israel will be divided,” he continued, saying the boundaries of Israel were given “not by the United Nations but by almighty God.”

Fierce Israel Supporter Mike Huckabee Confirmed As Ambassador To Israel

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LIVE UPDATES: Mike Huckabee, Trump’s Pick For U.S. Ambassador To Israel, Faces Senators

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President-elect Donald Trump announced former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as his pick for the U.S. Ambassador to Israel.
In a statement, Trump called Huckabee a “great public servant” and pointed to his record of friendship with Israelis. 
“He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him,” Trump wrote. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”
Huckabee, a Southern Baptist pastor, has been a strong supporter of Israel, having been to the Jewish state more than 100 times, making his first visit over 50 years ago.
In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri3Y-Mqc-_A">podcast episode</a> for the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Huckabee spoke of the importance of the fellowship of faith between Christians and Jews. 
“This is a biblical mandate, and we need to stand on it and recognize that we should never ever allow the Jewish people to feel that they’re alone again,” he said. 
Huckabee has been an even stronger defender of Israel following Hamas’s October 7 massacre, raping, and kidnapping of Israeli civilians.
“The worst level of evil that exists on our planet today we saw on October 7th,” Huckabee said in the podcast. “For anyone to march in the streets whether it&#8217;s America or Europe and to show support for this uncivilized and savage behavior to me is a mark of darkness in our world.”
Huckabee visited Kibbutz Kfar Aza — one of the hardest hit by terrorists — in December. At the site of the carnage, he declared “if we don’t stand with Israel, we stand for chaos,” <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/devastation-of-gaza-border-towns-a-gut-punch-says-huckabee-during-evangelical-tour/">reported the Times of Israel</a>.
During the visit Huckbee pointed out he was used to seeing destroyed communities from the tornadoes in Arkansas but said seeing destruction done by human beings is a whole different story.
“As governor, I walked through scores of communities that had been hit by tornadoes, ripped apart and leveled to the ground,” he recalled, with artillery and machine gun fire sounds in the distance at the front lines. “And I was used to seeing that kind of destruction, but that’s because a weather system hit and hurt. What I’m seeing here happened because people who claimed to be human beings acted like something other than human beings and did evil.”
“I thought that we need, as Americans, to say with conviction to our Jewish friends in Israel: we stand with you,” he continued. “What you’ve been through is a level of savagery that no human being should experience. And [we need] to say boldly to the people in the US who are parading in the streets, completely misunderstanding what this is about, that there is no moral equivalency.”
Huckabee has been a <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/huckabee-israels-claim-to-judea-and-samaria-stronger-than-us-tie-to-manhattan/">strong supporter</a> of Israel’s claim to Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank, once arguing that Israel’s historical connection to the region, spanning thousands of years, is even stronger than America’s 400-year connection to Manhattan.
“If I came and said, we need to end our occupation of Manhattan, I’m pretty sure that most Americans would find that laughable,” he said. “The Israelis have a strong connection to Judea and Samaria.”
In a 2017 <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/03/politics/huckabee-west-bank-settlements/index.html">interview with CNN</a>, Huckabee rejected the term “settlements” pointing out that the areas in dispute are communities, neighborhoods, and cities. He added that there is no such thing as “West Bank,” instead opting to use the historical term “Judea and Samaria.”

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee,

Mike Huckabee Nominated For U.S. Ambassador to Israel

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