Donald Trump is nominating former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee as the following U.S. ambassador to Israel, the president-elect mentioned Tuesday, tapping a staunchly pro-Israel conservative whose selection may sign future U.S. coverage towards conflicts within the Center East.
An evangelical Christian, Huckabee has been a vocal supporter of Israel all through his political profession and a long-time defender of Jewish settlements within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution. A former Republican presidential hopeful, Huckabee hosted a weekly Fox Information TV present for six years, ending in 2015.
“There is no such factor as an occupation,” Huckabee mentioned in a 2017 interview with CNN, wherein he referred to the West Financial institution by its biblical names, Judea and Samaria.
Evangelicals are an overwhelmingly pro-Israel a part of Trump’s base and voted closely in favour of him within the Nov. 5 U.S. election.
Trump’s announcement of the nomination drew fast reward from senior Israeli officers, however is more likely to be panned by Palestinians, whose nationalist trigger Huckabee has denigrated prior to now.
“He loves Israel, and the folks of Israel, and likewise, the folks of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to result in Peace within the Center East!” Trump mentioned in an announcement.
Huckabee, 69, would tackle one in all Washington’s most delicate diplomatic posts at a time when Israel is combating the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza and the Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon whereas dealing with off in opposition to regional arch-foe Iran. Over 43,000 folks have been killed in Gaza because the warfare started, in line with its well being ministry, whereas Lebanon has reported greater than 3,000 killed in that nation over the identical time.
Huckabee has criticized President Joe Biden for pressuring Israel to average its conduct of the Gaza warfare and has opposed the present Democratic administration’s requires a ceasefire there.
“If an individual is pro-Israel, how are you going to be pro-Biden? As a result of the Biden administration has made it very clear they may make concessions to Hamas,” Huckabee mentioned in an interview in March on NewsNation.
Many Palestinians worry Donald Trump’s election win makes an Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal much more unlikely. Trump, who took an aggressively pro-Israel stance throughout his first time period, has already mentioned Israel ought to be allowed to ‘go and simply end the job.’
Netanyahu allies reward appointment
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies celebrated the election of Trump, a staunch however generally unpredictable ally of Israel. In Trump’s first time period, he delivered main wins for the Israeli chief.
Members of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition, which incorporates pro-settler events that oppose Palestinian statehood, hailed Huckabee’s nomination.
“I stay up for working with you to strengthen the bond between our peoples,” Israeli Overseas Minister Gideon Saar wrote on X. “As a long-standing pal of Israel and our everlasting capital Jerusalem — I hope you’ll really feel very a lot at residence.”
Trump has strongly backed Netanyahu’s purpose of destroying Hamas, although he has known as for Israel to complete the job shortly. He has promised to carry peace to the Center East however has not mentioned how.
If his first time period is any indication, Trump is more likely to pursue a strongly pro-Israel method, going even past the strong help given by Biden to Washington’s high regional ally.
Huckabee, who has led evangelical excursions to Israel for years, has been a supporter of Israeli settlement-building within the West Financial institution, which Palestinians need as a part of an unbiased state that would come with the Gaza Strip.
A lot of the worldwide group views because the settlements unlawful. Israel has occupied the West Financial institution because the 1967 Center East warfare.
Huckabee served as Arkansas governor from 1996 to 2007. He fell quick in bids for the Republican nomination for president in 2008 and 2016.
His daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is the present governor of Arkansas. She served as Trump’s White Home press secretary from 2017 to 2019.