President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he has selected former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as his nominee for U.S. ambassador to Israel.
Trump praised Huckabee as a dedicated public servant and a strong supporter of Israel, stating that he would work relentlessly to bring peace to the Middle East. The appointment requires Senate confirmation and comes amid ongoing tensions in the region.
Huckabee, a prominent evangelical Christian, has been a vocal advocate for the Israeli settlement movement. He has dismissed terms like “West Bank” and “occupation,” referring to the area instead as Judea and Samaria and describing settlements as communities or neighborhoods.
In 2008, Huckabee controversially stated that there was “no such thing as a Palestinian” and suggested the creation of a Palestinian state from land of surrounding Arab nations.
Huckabee is also the father of Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the current Arkansas governor and former press secretary under Trump. His nomination comes as Trump’s new administration takes shape.
