Mike Huckabee, who served as a Southern Baptist pastor and state denominational leader before entering politics, is President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be the next U.S. ambassador to Israel. If confirmed by the Senate, Huckabee is expected to continue supporting Israel and opposing a two-state solution.
On Tuesday (Nov. 12), Trump called Huckabee “a great public servant” who loves and is loved by Israel, saying, “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”
RELATED: Christian Leaders React to Donald Trump Winning the Presidential Election
Huckabee, 69, pledged to carry out the policies of Trump, saying the former and future president secured “an understanding of the sovereignty of Israel” during his first administration. “From the moving of the [U.S.] embassy [to Jerusalem], recognition of the Golan Heights and Jerusalem as the capital. No one has done more than President Trump,” said Huckabee. “And I fully expect that that will continue.”
Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas, said the nomination of his “good friend” Huckabee is “great news” and a “great choice” by Trump. “I can tell you [Huckabee] will be a mighty instrument in God’s Hand for the peace and prosperity of Israel and US engagement in Israel and the Middle East,” Graham wrote.
Mike Huckabee’s Stance on Israel
Mike Huckabee has been critical of President Biden’s desire for a ceasefire in the ongoing war, saying, “The Biden administration has made it very clear they will make concessions to Hamas.”
Huckabee’s position on Israel is evident through how he talks about the area. “There’s really no such thing as a Palestinian,” he said in 2008. Then in 2017, while referring to the area commonly known as the West Bank, he said:
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.
Huckabee has said “plenty of land” for Palestinians is available in nearby Middle Eastern countries. Recently, he called himself an “unapologetic, unreformed Zionist.” Huckabee added that he likes “modernity” and doesn’t want “radical Muslims…to take us back to the seventh century.”
Israeli officials are congratulating Huckabee on his nomination, saying he’s a longtime friend who’s familiar with the area. Huckabee has said he’s visited Israel more than 100 times.
Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who oversees West Bank settlements, said, “I have no doubt that we have won and together with [Huckabee] we will strengthen Israel’s security and strength and strengthen our hold in all its spaces.”
Opponents are taking issue with the nominee’s hardline approach. Luis Moreno, a former U.S. ambassador, wrote about Huckabee, “I unfortunately was exposed to him during his visits to Israel back in the day. Full blown (and knowledgeable) fanatic of the End of Times, Apocalypse, Israel’s destruction, etc. A true and utter nut case. Couldn’t be a more dangerous selection.”
From Pastor to Public Servant
Huckabee, an Arkansas native, served as that state’s governor from 1996 to 2007. He ran for U.S. president during the 2008 and 2016 campaign cycles.
Before turning to politics, Huckabee was a Southern Baptist pastor. He served for six years at Immanuel Baptist Church in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and then for another six years at Beech Street First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Arkansas. While at Immanuel, Huckabee urged the all-white congregation to welcome Black members.
RELATED: SBC 2024: What Happened at the Annual Meeting in Indianapolis
During his presidential campaigns, Huckabee was a favorite of many Christian voters. In 2007, he said at a “values voter” debate in Florida, “Many [evangelicals] will come to you. I come from you.” Publisher Steve Strang once urged his magazine readers to donate to Huckabee’s campaign.
In Huckabee’s book “Do the Right Thing,” he wrote, “It was never my desire to use my [political] position to push a particular religious doctrine through the official channels of government. Spiritual convictions should certainly be reflected in one’s worldview, approaches to problems, and perspective.”
Being a pastor was “the greatest preparation that a person can have for public service,” said Huckabee. “My experience dealing every day with real people who were genuinely affected by policies created by government gave me a deep understanding of the fragility of the human spirit and vulnerability of so many families who struggled from week to week.”
.jpg){kind=link}
