The US Senate on Wednesday backed former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel, installing a staunch pro-Israel conservative in the high-profile post amid war in Gaza and relations complicated by US tariffs.
The Senate backed Huckabee by 53 to 46, largely along party lines, with Republicans all supporting President Donald Trump's nominee and every Democrat except Pennsylvania's John Fetterman voting against him.
An evangelical Christian, Huckabee has been a vocal supporter of Israel throughout his political career and a longtime defender of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Critics said the former Republican presidential candidate was too partisan to represent the United States, given the sensitivity of negotiations to end the war in Gaza and avoid broader regional war.
Huckabee's supporters said he knew Israel well, having visited more than 100 times, and was well-positioned to work closely with Trump to bring peace to a chaotic part of the world.
MIKE HUCKABEE speaks during a ceremony marking the construction of a new housing complex in Efrat, in 2018. (credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS)
"We urgently need a qualified ambassador in the region, and I have no doubt Mike Huckabee is that person," Republican Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said as he urged support for the nominee.
Pro-Israel policies
Trump has pursued strongly pro-Israel policies as president, and his choice of Huckabee as ambassador signaled that they would continue.
Pro-Israel evangelicals are an important part of Trump's base and voted heavily in favor of him in the November 5 election.
"There’s no such thing as an occupation," Huckabee said in a 2017 interview with CNN, in which he referred to the West Bank by its biblical names, Judea and Samaria.
During his first term, Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem and sided with Israel on its claims over territory in the West Bank. During his second term, he has advocated taking a "hard stance" on Gaza, which he has proposed the US takeover.
Stay updated with the latest news!
Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter
Congratulations to my dear friend @GovMikeHuckabee on his confirmation by the US Senate as the 23rd United States Ambassador to Israel. You now have the best job in the world and I know you will bring US – Israel relations to even greater heights. Best wishes from #20!
David Friedman, Trump's ambassador to Israel during his first term, congratulated Huckabee in a social media post, telling him that he now has "the best job in the world" and that Friedman knows Huckabee will "bring US-Israel relations to even greater heights."
The United States is Israel's closest ally and largest single trading partner. Netanyahu has visited Trump at the White House twice since Trump began his second term on January 20.
He was there this week, seeking to limit the sting of tariffs imposed on Israel as part of the Republican president's sweeping tariff policy. Under the new policy, Israeli goods face a 17% US tariff, despite the two countries signing a free trade agreement 40 years ago.
Netanyahu pledged to eliminate Israel's trade surplus with the United States. However, when asked if his administration planned to reduce tariffs on Israeli goods, Trump made no promises.
