President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he nominated former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a proponent of Israeli annexation of the West Bank, to be the US ambassador to Israel.
“I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected former Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, has been nominated to be The United States Ambassador to Israel,” Trump said in a statement.
“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 added.
Huckabee, an Evangelical Christian who believes God gave historic Palestine to the modern state of Israel, is an outspoken proponent of Israel’s expansion in the occupied West Bank, which he calls Judea and Samaria.
While visiting an Israeli settlement in the West Bank in 2017, Huckabee claimed the territory was not under Israeli occupation. “I think Israel has title deed to Judea and Samaria,” Huckabee told CNN. “There are certain words I refuse to use. There is no such thing as a West Bank. It’s Judea and Samaria. There’s no such thing as a settlement. They’re communities, they’re neighborhoods, they’re cities. There’s no such thing as an occupation.”
Back in 2008, during his presidential campaign, Huckabee said there was “really no such thing as a Palestinian.”
During the previous Trump administration, Huckabee said that he hoped the White House would support Israeli annexation of the West Bank and said he had conversations with Trump about the issue. According to Haaretz, Huckabee has long had close relations with Israeli settler groups.
Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, leader of the Jewish Power party who wants West Bank annexation and Jewish settlements in Gaza, celebrated Huckabee’s nomination by tweeting out his name along with a heart emoji, an American flag, and an Israeli flag.
David Friedman, Trump’s former ambassador to Israel, congratulated Huckabee. “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,” he said.
Freidman also favors Israeli annexation of the West Bank and recently published a book calling for the US to fund it to the tune of $1 billion. Friedman was rumored to be in the running to fill the ambassador position again before Huckabee was chosen.
