Trump has tapped former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be his ambassador to Israel.
Huckabee, who was governor of Arkansas between 1996 and 2007, was a presidential candidate in 2008 and 2016. His daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is the current governor of Arkansas, after being elected in 2022.
“Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years. He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!” Trump said in a statement.
Huckabee’s nomination requires confirmation by the Senate, which is highly likely with the GOP occupying 53 seats in the upper congressional chamber.
Huckabee, a devout Southern Baptist, is known to be a staunch supporter of the Jewish state.
Huckabee has been critical of President Joe Biden’s response to the Israel–Hamas war, especially the president’s call for a cease-fire.
In June, he said the United States should not call for a cease-fire.
“There’s no valid reason to have a cease-fire with Hamas,” he told NewsNation. “They’re not capable of having an honorable negotiation.
“And every time something is put on the table, they pretend that they’re gonna listen to it, they pretend that they’re for it and then they always reject it.”
In addition to the Israel–Hamas war, other issues Huckabee would face as ambassador include the Israel–Hezbollah war, the threat from Iran, and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
During his first administration, Trump had a pro-Israel agenda that included moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, implementing a “maximum pressure campaign” against the regime, eliminating Iranian Qassem Soleimani, and brokering peace between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.
It remains to be seen how the president-elect will address the conflicts in the Middle East, especially if a cease-fire doesn’t come to fruition before Biden leaves office.
