Trump announces former Gov. Mike Huckabee nominated as ambassador to Israel

WASHINGTON – Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has been nominated to serve as the US ambassador to Israel, President-elect Donald Trump said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

“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,’ Trump said. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East!”

Huckabee is a former Southern Baptist pastor and a former Trump challenger who ran in the 2016 presidential election.

The world reacts

Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, reacted to the news on X, posting “Mike Huckabee” with an American flag, a heart, and an Israeli flag.

Mike Huckabee ❤️

— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) November 12, 2024

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, also posted his congratulations on X.

ברוך הבא לישראל השגריר האקבי! מזל טוב ידידי היקר מייק על המינוי שלך לתפקיד שגריר ארצות הברית בישראל. מצפה בקוצר רוח להמשיך לעבוד יחד איתך ולחזק את הברית החזקה בין המדינות שלנו! pic.twitter.com/KNpIgZwBi1

— Danny Danon דני דנון (@dannydanon) November 12, 2024

“Welcome to Israel, Ambassador Huckabee!” Danon wrote. “Congratulations to my dear friend Gov. Mike Huckabee on being selected as the next US ambassador to Israel. I look forward to continuing to work with you and to strengthening the eternal bond our two countries share!”

On X, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said he looked forward to working with Huckabee to “strengthen the bond between our peoples.”

“As a longstanding friend of Israel and our eternal capital Jerusalem – I hope you will feel very much at home,” Sa’ar wrote.

In a post on X, David Friedman, who held the position of Ambassador to Israel under Trump's first administration, said he was "thrilled" by Huckabee's nomination. 

I am thrilled by President Trump’s nomination of Governor Mike Huckabee as the next Ambassador to Israel. He is a dear friend and he will have my full support. Congrats Mike on getting the best job in the world!

— David M Friedman (@DavidM_Friedman) November 12, 2024

"He is a dear friend and he will have my full support," Friedman said. "Congrats Mike on getting the best job in the world!"

In another post, Friedman said Huckabee's appointment speaks volumes to the importance and priority that President Trump places on the US-Israel relationship.

It speaks volumes to the importance and priority that President Trump places on the US - Israel relationship that he selected his Ambassador to Israel within one week of his election. And the selection itself — Mike Huckabee is one of Israel’s greatest friends — tells us that the…

— David M Friedman (@DavidM_Friedman) November 12, 2024

"He selected his Ambassador to Israel within one week of his election. And the selection itself — Mike Huckabee is one of Israel’s greatest friends — tells us that the days of public daylight between the US and Israel are about to end!" Friedman said. 

Huckabee critical of Biden's handling of US-Israel ties 

Huckabee has highly criticized Biden’s handling of his relationship with Israel since October 7.

“For Joe Biden to even for a moment think that he knows better how to handle the situation than [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu],” Huckabee said in a September Newsmax interview. “It’s an embarrassment to me as an American.”

Huckabee said that he wished Biden would gather up “all the resources that he could” and recognize there are still four American hostages being held.

“And instead of putting pressure on Israel, it might be really nice if he would put the pressure on Hamas,” he added. “And all of the people who fund them, including Iran, and tell them we are going to park a carrier just on the other side of Gaza, and those hostages need to be let go or we are going to start unloading on the rest of Gaza.”

Huckabee also criticized the Biden administration for trying to negotiate with Hamas, as the group cannot be trusted. Putting pressure on Iran might ultimately be the key difference, he noted.

“October the seventh was financed by Iran, but you might say it was financed by the idiocy of the United States that took our boot off of the neck of the Iranians when Joe Biden took office and he released and relaxed all of those sanctions that were working very effectively,” Huckabee said in the interview.

Huckabee said the US ought to stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel and say Hamas has hostages who are American citizens and that the US will “move heaven and earth and storm hell with a water pistol” if necessary to get those hostages back.

Huckabee is involved with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews and has led missions and solidarity trips to Israel since 1981.

“So as someone who has had the privilege of walking the land of the Bible with you, I can tell people I’ve seen the work of God’s word in person through the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews,” Huckabee said.

According to the IFCJ, Huckabee has been to Israel over 100 times.

Earlier this year on IFCJ’s podcast “Nourish Your Biblical Roots” with Yael Eckstein, Huckabee described his first trip to Israel 50 years ago, where he “felt at home,” along with an overwhelming spiritual reality of understanding that “this is the land that God has given to the Jews.”

Huckabee said the Jewish people have waited 2,000 years to return to the homeland that’s been theirs for 3,500 years.

“Even though I’m a Christian, everything that I embrace as a Christian is rooted in the promises that God gave to the Jewish people,” Huckabee stated.

He described Israel as a “biblical mandate” that Christians need to stand on and recognize they should never allow the Jewish people to feel they’re alone.