{"id":125488,"date":"2024-11-13T21:13:22","date_gmt":"2024-11-13T14:13:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=125488"},"modified":"2024-11-13T21:13:22","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T14:13:22","slug":"who-is-mike-huckabee-the-us-evangelical-pro-settlement-envoy-to-israel-politics-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=125488","title":{"rendered":"Who is Mike Huckabee, the US evangelical, pro-settlement envoy to Israel? | Politics News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>US President-elect <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> has announced the appointment of pro-settlement former Arkansas Governor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2024\/11\/12\/trump-picks-pro-settlement-mike-huckabee-as-us-ambassador-to-israel\">Mike Huckabee<\/a> as the US ambassador to Israel.<\/p>\n<p>The controversial political figure and TV personality who claims to have visited Israel more than 100 times will replace <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2023\/9\/5\/who-is-jacob-lew-bidens-nominee-for-us-ambassador-to-israel\">Jack Lew<\/a>, who has held the position for a year.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"who-is-mike-huckabee-and-what-was-he-doing-before-this-appointment\">Who is Mike Huckabee, and what was he doing before this appointment?<\/h2>\n<p>The devout 69-year-old evangelical Christian was born in the southern US state of Arkansas.<\/p>\n<p>He served as governor of his home state between 1996 and 2007 before launching unsuccessful bids to be the Republican presidential candidate during the 2008 and 2016 primary seasons.<\/p>\n<p>Between these two bids, he had his own talk show, Huckabee, which ran on the Fox News Network between 2008 and 2015.<\/p>\n<p>In 2017, the show was revived and broadcast on TBN, a Christian-based broadcast television network.<\/p>\n<p>Since ending his campaign for presidential candidacy in 2016, Huckabee has consistently supported Trump.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3321007\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3321007\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-3321007\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/AFP__20241112__36MC4X9__v2__HighRes__FilesUsPoliticsTrumpHuckabee-1731497966.jpg?w=770&amp;resize=770%2C513\" alt=\"Arkansas Governor\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3321007\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Donald Trump and Mike Huckabee shake hands after participating in a roundtable discussion hosted by Building America\u2019s Future in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, on October 29, 2024 [File: Charly Triballeau\/AFP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-huckabee-s-position-on-israel-and-palestine\">What is Huckabee\u2019s position on Israel and Palestine?<\/h2>\n<p>Huckabee is a staunch supporter of Israel.<\/p>\n<p>After his appointment, Trump released a statement in which he said Huckabee \u201cloves 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!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His appointment demonstrates a \u201cvery hawkish, very pro-right-wing Israel\u201d approach by the Trump administration, Yossi Mekelberg, an expert on Israel at the Chatham House think tank, told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n<p>He said Huckabee\u2019s appointment is similar to that of David Friedman, who served as US Ambassador to Israel between 2017 and 2021 and supports Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.<\/p>\n<p>Huckabee views Israel as an \u201coverwhelming ally of the United States\u201d, Paul Musgrave, an associate professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar, told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe will certainly be a strong voice for a pro-Israel faction in the administration and the country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Huckabee has tied his evangelical faith to support for Israeli control of the West Bank and his support for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/features\/2024\/7\/19\/how-israeli-settlements-are-taking-over-the-west-bank-as-gaza-war-rages\">Israeli settlements<\/a>, which are illegal under international law.<\/p>\n<p>In an interview in 2017 with the CNN news network, he said: \u201cThere is no such thing as a West Bank. It\u2019s Judea and Samaria (the territory\u2019s biblical name). There\u2019s no such thing as a settlement. They\u2019re communities, they\u2019re neighbourhoods, they\u2019re cities. There\u2019s no such thing as an occupation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Huckabee has gone as far as to question Palestinian identity.<\/p>\n<p>During his Republican presidential campaign, he said: \u201cI need to be careful about saying this, because people will really get upset \u2013 there\u2019s really no such thing as a Palestinian.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Huckabee is against a two-state solution.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, in various TV interviews, he has propagated the idea that \u201cthere\u2019s plenty of land\u201d for Palestinians in countries such as Jordan, Egypt and Syria.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3321015\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3321015\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-3321015\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/AFP__20100505__DV564042__v2__HighRes__MideastPalestinianIsraelUsHuckabee-1731498229.jpg?w=770&amp;resize=770%2C513\" alt=\"Huckabee\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3321015\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Huckabee visits a large settler enclave, called Maale HaZeitim, in the Ras al-Amoud neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem on August 17, 2009 [File: David Furst\/AFP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He has also criticised US President Joe Biden for requesting that Israel temper some of its actions in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/tag\/israel-palestine-conflict\/\">war on Gaza<\/a> and the administration\u2019s calls for a ceasefire.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf a person is pro-Israel, how can you be pro-Biden because the Biden administration has made it very clear they will make concessions to Hamas,\u201d Huckabee said in an interview in March on News Nation.<\/p>\n<p>In a recent interview with a podcaster, he labelled himself an \u201cunapologetic, unreformed Zionist\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>He also said \u201cradical Muslims want to take us back to the seventh century\u201d adding \u201cI don\u2019t want to go back there\u201d. He said: \u201cI like modernity.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-has-the-reaction-been-like-in-israel-to-his-appointment\">What has the reaction been like in Israel to his appointment?<\/h2>\n<p>The Israeli government, in its current form, will be very pleased with the appointment of an ambassador who supports settlements and annexation, Mekelberg said.<\/p>\n<p>Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel\u2019s far-right, pro-settler security minister, took to X to celebrate Huckabee\u2019s appointment, simply posting emojis of the US flag, the Israeli flag and a heart alongside the former Arkansas governor\u2019s name.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Mike Huckabee \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\u2764\ufe0f\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \u05d0\u05d9\u05ea\u05de\u05e8 \u05d1\u05df \u05d2\u05d1\u05d9\u05e8 (@itamarbengvir) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/itamarbengvir\/status\/1856413575293649160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 12, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Danny Danon, Israel\u2019s ambassador to the UN, took to X to offer congratulations to Huckabee, who he described as \u201cmy dear friend\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI look forward to continuing to work with you and to strengthening the eternal bond our two countries share!\u201d Danon wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Mekelberg said even though it will raise concerns about any potential peace agreement, the Israeli public, in general, will be supportive as, given the current climate, \u201canyone who expresses full support of Israel will be welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-can-be-expected-from-his-term\">What can be expected from his term?<\/h2>\n<p>It is too early to tell how his appointment will affect Israel\u2019s strategy for Gaza, the occupied West Bank and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/tag\/israel-lebanon\/\">Lebanon<\/a>, Musgrave said.<\/p>\n<p>However, he noted it likely indicates that there will be little \u201cpushback\u201d from a Trump administration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s war plans.<\/p>\n<p>It is a sentiment shared by Mekelberg, who said any fears in the Israeli administration that an incoming ambassador could have placed restraints on how Israel may conduct itself will have \u201ceased considerably\u201d after Huckabee\u2019s appointment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2024\/11\/13\/who-is-mike-huckabee-the-evangelical-pro-settlement-envoy-to-israel\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>US President-elect Donald Trump has announced the appointment of pro-settlement former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as the US ambassador to Israel. The controversial political figure and TV personality who claims &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=125488\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8629],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-125488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-u-s","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=125488"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125488\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=125488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=125488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=125488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}