At the JNS International Policy Summit held on Monday evening at Jerusalem’s Waldorf Astoria hotel, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee delivered a forceful message regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions in his first speech since arriving in Israel. He emphasized that if Iran persists in its pursuit of nuclear weapons, President Donald Trump “won’t be dragged into a war, he’ll lead it.” Huckabee affirmed the president’s unwavering stance, stating, “The president has been very clear that there will never be a possibility for nuclear weapons; he’s been explicit about that.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed similar sentiments during his speech at the conference on Sunday. He asserted that “the only good deal that works is a deal like the one that was made with Libya, that removed all the infrastructure.” Netanyahu underscored the importance of shared objectives between Israel and the U.S., emphasizing, “We have to make sure that Iran does not get nuclear weapons.”
Spicing his talk with humor, the new ambassador said that Trump had been looking to appoint a Maccabee but the closest he could get was a Huckabee, and with resounding laughter in the background, added that he had first visited Israel 52 years ago and that the visit to the land God had given the Jewish people 3500 years ago affected him profoundly.
Huckabee further highlighted the profound nature of the U.S.-Israel alliance, describing it as “spiritual,” rooted in a shared belief that “the only explanation for the creation and the survival and the victory of Israel is that God’s hand is upon this land, and it always will be.” He expressed pride in President Trump’s immediate actions upon taking office, noting that Trump “reversed a lot of the ridiculous policies of the previous administration, one of which was to not give Israel the necessary tools to fight a war against the worst savages that we have seen, not just in our century, but perhaps in human history."
"Why the worst?" he asked, "because Hamas terrorists did not grow up in a tribal world where they could not get an education, but in the modern world, and they massacred and were proud of it. The world has to know what It is up against, that Hamas targets mothers, pregnant women, disabled people, infants."
"This is not a geopolitical struggle," he asserted, "this is a vertical battle between heaven and hell."
Addressing the ongoing hostage situation, Huckabee reiterated that Trump "Made it very clear that Hamas has no future in Gaza or anywhere else on this Earth. Let’s get the hostages home and let’s get them home now. Every last one of them.”
Since assuming his role as U.S. Ambassador to Israel on April 21, Huckabee has engaged in various diplomatic and symbolic acts to reinforce the strong U.S.-Israel relationship. Prior to presenting his credentials to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Huckabee visited the Western Wall to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and to place a handwritten note from President Trump between the stones of the holy site.
Reflecting on the significance of the U.S.-Israel partnership, Huckabee remarked, “Israel is an incredibly important ally to us. The United States and its citizens are directly the beneficiaries of some of the extraordinary achievements and accomplishments and innovations of the people here in Israel. People sometimes only think that Israel benefits from the United States. The truth is the United States benefits a great deal from Israel, and not just militarily.”
During his visit, Huckabee also attended a ceremony honoring 46 Americans and 23 dual U.S.-Israeli citizens who have been killed by terrorists since the war broke out. He later tweeted, “Together with their families, I pray their sacrifices were not in vain. May their memories be a blessing.”