Former Arkansas Gov Mike Huckabee will be the next US ambassador to Israel in the incoming Trump administration, President-elect Trump announced on Tuesday. “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 social media post.
“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!”
Who is Mike Huckabee?
Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align US foreign policy more closely with Israel’s interests as it wages wars against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Huckabee has led paid tour group visits to Israel for years, frequently advertising the trips on conservative-leaning news outlets.
David Friedman, who served as Trump’s ambassador to Israel in his first term, said he was “thrilled” by Trump’s selection of Huckabee. Huckabee was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in both 2008 and 2016. Huckabee is the father of Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the governor of Arkansas since 2023 and a former White House press secretary.
The position is crucial as Trump has expressed steadfast support for Israel more than one year into its war in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. As president, Trump moved the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and was considered a strong ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
