Mike Huckabee once said that ‘there’s really no such thing as a Palestinian’

CNN
 — 

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who President-elect Donald Trump introduced Tuesday was his decide to function US ambassador to Israel, beforehand argued that there was “no such factor as a Palestinian.”

Huckabee, who has been a robust defender of Israel all through his profession, made the assertion throughout his 2008 presidential marketing campaign, asserting that Palestinian id was “a political instrument to attempt to power land away from Israel.”

In a video obtained by CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski throughout Huckabee’s 2015 run for president, Huckabee recommended that if a Palestinian state have been to be created, it must be in neighboring nations like Egypt, Syria or Jordan, somewhat than inside Israel’s borders.

“Mainly, there actually isn’t any such factor as — I must be cautious about saying this, as a result of individuals will actually get upset — there’s actually no such factor as a Palestinian,” Huckabee stated at a 2008 marketing campaign cease in Massachusetts whereas talking to 2 Orthodox Jewish males. “There’s not.”

In response to a query from one of many males about the potential of a Palestinian state current exterior of Israel, Huckabee stated he believed this was the preferable choice.

“You will have Arabs and Persians,” Huckabee continued on the 2008 look. “And there’s such complexity in that. However there’s actually no such factor. That’s been a political instrument to attempt to power land away from Israel.”

Within the video, which was beforehand revealed by BuzzFeed, Huckabee added that he thought a Palestinian state may very well be made out of land in Egypt, Syria or Jordan.

“My level is, if that’s the problem, if it’s actual property, for those who have a look at a map, and say right here is how a lot Israel has and right here is how a lot the Arab states maintain, there’s loads of land,” he stated.

Huckabee reiterated that time throughout a 2015 interview on Israeli TV, through which he argued {that a} two-state resolution was “irrational and unworkable” and stated “there’s loads of land” exterior of Israel within the “remainder of the world” for a Palestinian state.

CNN reached out to Huckabee and the Trump transition crew for touch upon whether or not Huckabee stands by his feedback.