What Jewish groups are saying ahead of Mike Huckabee’s confirmation hearing to be Israel ambassador
The former Arkansas governor and evangelical pastor is a staunch Christian Zionist who has called for Israel to control the West Bank in perpetuity
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee moderates a roundtable discussion with Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump at the Drexelbrook Catering & Event Center, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, Oct. 29, 2024. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(JTA) — Mike Huckabee will appear before a Senate committee on Tuesday morning ahead of a vote on his nomination to be U.S. ambassador to Israel. The former Arkansas governor and evangelical pastor is a staunch Christian Zionist who has called for Israel to control the West Bank in perpetuity.
Ahead of his hearing, he visited the Ohel, the New York City gravesite of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the late Chabad Hasidic leader.
Huckabee’s outspoken support for West Bank annexation has led some liberal groups to raise concerns about him. Centrist and right-wing groups have generally welcomed his nomination.
Here’s what some of them are saying:
American Jewish Committee: “@AJCGlobal looks forward to working with Gov. Huckabee and newly appointed Special Envoy for the Middle East Steven Witkoff to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship, bolster Israel-diaspora relations, and promote strong connections between American Jewry and Israel,” CEO Ted Deutch tweeted last year.
Anti-Defamation League: “Congratulations to @GovMikeHuckabee on being nominated as the next US Ambassador to Israel. At a time when Israel is threatened on all borders and 101 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, it’s critical that the President’s envoy ensure stalwart US-Israel relations,” tweeted CEO Jonathan Greenblatt following Huckabee’s nomination last year. Greenblatt added that the U.S. and Israel should “build a pathway to peace between Israelis and all of her neighbors, including the Palestinians.”
Jewish Council on Public Affairs: The group does not take positions on nominations but its CEO, Amy Spitalnick, said, “Having a strong, constructive leader in this role at this moment is, simply, mission critical — to the vital U.S.-Israel relationship, to advancing what should be shared values and commitment to democracy… and to ensuring true security and peace for all in the region… Suffice it to say, many of us have deep concerns about Christian nationalist policies and beliefs, dehumanizing comments, and other parts of a record that appear at odds with long-term Jewish safety and values here and in the region.”
J Street: “Mr. Huckabee’s embrace of annexation, extremist settlers and fanatical Christian Zionism stands in stark contrast to the Jewish, democratic values held by the overwhelming majority of our community – and in stark contrast to Israel’s founding values of justice, equality and peace. An Ambassador espousing Governor Huckabee’s views would undermine American interests and the administration’s own stated commitment to pursuit of long-term regional peace and security. I urge senators to vote no on his confirmation,” CEO Jeremy Ben-Ami said in a statement.
Orthodox Union: “[M]any American Jews — within and beyond the Orthodox Union’s constituency — and other pro-Israel Americans share Gov. Huckabee’s understanding of the realities of the region, especially in the wake of Hamas’ heinous attack of Oct.
7, 2023, and its aftermath,” a letter from the group’s leadership said. “Gov. Huckabee’s views have been shaped in significant part by his deeply held Evangelical faith that recognizes the unbreakable connection of the Jewish people to the biblical land of Israel.”
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism: “Gov. Huckabee’s record raises serious questions about his commitment to these values and interests that have persisted across Republican and Democratic administrations alike,” director Rabbi Jonah Pesner wrote in a letter. “Gov. Huckabee can hold whatever faith views he believes. At the same time, as Jews and Zionists, we are gravely concerned by a teaching in which the well-being of Jews, of Israel, and of America are not ends in themselves but means to the fulfillment of Christian eschatology.”
Zionist Organization of America: “Governor Huckabee is a great American patriot and friend of the Jewish people, and a man of sterling character and compassion, with widely-praised executive abilities. Gov. Huckabee has an extraordinary understanding of Israel’s history, legal rights to her land and on-the-ground realities,” president Morton Klein wrote in a letter. “Evangelical or Christian Zionist beliefs should certainly not constitute grounds for disqualifying any candidate for public office.”
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