By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Mike Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist pastor noted for his Evangelical and pro-Israel views, prepares to take up his job as the United States ambassador to Israel.
The Senate agreed Wednesday with Huckabee’s nomination in a 53-46 vote, installing a staunch supporter of Israel in the key Mideast post.
Analysts say the 69-year-old ex-governor of Arkansas may prove crucial
to U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to seek an end to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the armed conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and threats posed to Israel by Iran.
Huckabee, also known as a political commentator and former presidential hopeful, became an ambassador after a vote that went almost entirely along party lines.
Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania — an ardent supporter of Israel and virtually the only Democratic ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — was the only lawmaker to break with his party to join Republicans in backing Huckabee’s nomination.
Most Democrats questioned his views on Israel, including referring to the West Bank by its Biblical name of “Judea and Samaria,” a term the U.S. has so far refused to accept.
Huckabee also opposes the idea of a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinian people. He reportedly said he does not even believe in referring to Arab descendants of people in then British-controlled Palestine as “Palestinians.”
PERSONAL AGENDA
Despite his conservative views on Israel, which include support for Israel annexing the West Bank, Huckabee stressed during his confirmation hearing that he would work to advance the policies of the Trump administration, not his own personal agenda.
“I am not here to articulate or defend my own views or policies but to present myself as one who will respect and represent the president, whose overwhelming election by the people will hopefully give me the honor of serving as ambassador to the state of Israel,” Huckabee told the U.S. Senate hearing.
He said he hopes to arrive in Israel by Passover, which starts on Saturday evening. Huckabee’s arrival was due to be welcomed by Israel’s right-wing government after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left his meeting with Trump largely empty-handed, in contrast to his triumphant visit two months ago, commentators said.
During an hourlong Oval Office appearance, Trump appeared reluctant to end 17 percent tariffs on Israeli imports. He also announced that the United States and Iran would hold talks over the Iranian nuclear program beginning this weekend.
Netanyahu has been very wary of any discussions with Iran, which Israelis regard as an existential threat amid concerns about the Islamic State’s nuclear program.
The Israeli prime minister has made clear the Jewish nation would never accept Iran having nuclear weapons and did not rule out military action against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
President Donald J. Trump signed a sweeping executive order Monday banning federal funding for gain-of-function research conducted in China, Iran, and other nations deemed to have “insufficient research oversight. ” This marks a dramatic shift in U.S. policy toward biological research with pandemic potential.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched airstrikes Tuesday on Sanaa International Airport in Yemen, marking the seventh Israeli strike on Houthi targets since July 2024. In a rare move, the IDF issued an evacuation warning ahead of the strike, urging civilians to flee the area—its first such notice in operations targeting the Iranian-backed Houthi regime.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it carried out airstrikes Monday evening on Hezbollah’s strategic weapons manufacturing and storage sites in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, targeting infrastructure the Iranian-backed terrorist organization has been trying to restore since the November 2024 ceasefire.
President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that he offered to send U.S. troops into Mexico to help combat the country’s deadly drug cartels — but said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum turned him down because she is “afraid of the cartels.”
In a sweeping new effort to reduce the number of illegal immigrants in the country, the Department of Homeland Security announced Monday it will pay a $1,000 reward plus travel assistance to migrants who voluntarily leave the United States through a new self-deportation initiative.
Iran has announced the successful test of a new medium-range ballistic missile—Qassem Basir—boasting advanced capabilities designed to evade some of the world’s most sophisticated air defense systems, including the U.S.-made THAAD, currently deployed in Israel.
Israel’s security cabinet has approved an expansive military operation in Gaza, dubbed “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” with officials warning that unless a hostage deal is secured by the end of U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming Middle East visit, the offensive will begin with full force.