In a defiant and impassioned address in Tel Aviv, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee declared that the alliance between Israel and the United States is not only unshaken—it’s indivisible.
Speaking to an audience of Israel’s top economic leaders, Huckabee rejected any notion of drifting ties between the nations. Framing Iran as the common source of regional threats, he vowed unwavering US support for Israel.
"To anyone who says that the paths of Israel and the US are going their separate ways, that there is a conflict between them or that they are moving away from each other, I say: that is not what is happening. The only thing that was separated in this part of the world was the Red Sea, when Moses parted it in two to allow the Israelites to pass. I came here today in the name of friendship and gratitude," declared the US Ambassador at a festive reception held in his honor by the Ministry of Finance and the Israel Securities Authority on Tuesday evening, in the presence of the heads of the economy.
Huckabee added that he "prays that God will cross the Red Sea again and allow the kidnapped to return home."
“I realize that as I stand here tonight there are enemies poised to do any and everything they can to destroy you, to take you down and to take your future and your hope away. But they won't be able to do it. On all sides, whether it's Hamas, Hezbollah or the Houthis. I've said several times this week, it doesn't matter who brings the plate of hate to Israel to try to destroy you. We know where the kitchen is. The kitchen from which all of these really deadly disease dishes come from is from Iran and you're standing up against this evil monster, who for 46 years has said they're going to destroy you. But then they say once they're finished with you, they come after us. You're the appetizer, we're the entrée. Americans need to understand that the reason it matters what you do is because how you handle this threat is how we will ultimately have to handle this threat. Your enemies are our enemies and I hope it's always true that your friends are our friends. I say this from the bottom of my heart, America is your friend. We're your partner. We will stand with you. We must. We can't afford to pay the alimony of the divorce. So I hope you like us; you're stuck with us and I hope Americans will always love you because we feel like we're stuck with you too. God bless you.”
Huckabee emphasized that "we (the US and Israel) are partners, we are not just stakeholders cooperating to advance their own selfish interests. Israel is not just our business partner, we also benefit from Israel's economic strength." He also noted "the strength of the Israeli economy in the midst of war, against all the international pressure, and frankly, against the backdrop of international madness."
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also addressed the strength of relations between the countries: "We believe that the coming period will be a new high in relations between Israel and the US: an economic partnership that will bring more investments and more cooperation, regional moves that will position Israel as a strategic center connecting the Middle East, Europe and Asia, and an ideological infrastructure of a connection between tradition and innovation and freedom."
Smotrich noted that Huckabee is "not just an ambassador of a country but a true friend" of Israel.
"The Israeli economy has stood a huge test and emerged from it stronger than ever," said Smotrich. "The Israeli shekel is stronger today than on the eve of the war. This is not just the result of market trends - it is an international expression of confidence in the strength of Israeli society, in our political stability, and in the economic policy we are leading. The Israeli stock exchange has provided some of the highest returns in the world, thus proving that despite the war - the future here is bright. Investors understand better than politicians and commentators and they believe in Israel and the fast future that awaits it. And they are right..
The Chairman of the Israel Securities Authority, Seffy Zinger, said that "one of the main factors for the strength of the Israeli capital market is its deep integration with global markets, and especially with the American capital market. The financial ties between us are deep and strong."
Zinger recounted a recent meeting in the US with American investors: "What particularly caught their attention was the performance of the Israeli stock exchange compared to global markets. The Tel Aviv-125 index yielded a return of almost 30% in 2024, almost as much as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices. This is an especially impressive achievement, given the fact that it took place during the most difficult and complex war in Israel's history. I told those investors: Don't invest in Israel just out of love. Invest in it because it's a good investment."
In addition to Smotrich and Zinger, the event was attended by other heads of the economy, including Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Amir Yaron, Finance Ministry Director General Ilan Rom, Israel Stock Exchange Director General Itai Ben Ze'ev, Competition Authority Director Michal Cohen, Capital Market Authority Commissioner Amit Gal, Bank Leumi CEO Hanan Friedman, Phoenix CEO Eyal Ben Simon, Zvi Stepak, co-owner of the investment house Meitav-Dash, BlackRock Israel CEO Anat Levin, venture capitalist Michael Eisenberg, co-founder of the Aleph Fund, businessman Gideon Tadmor, Bank of Jerusalem CEO Yair Kaplan, and former minister and venture capitalist Yizhar Shai, whose son Yaron Shai fell on October 7, and who decided to leverage the pain to establish 1,500 startups to commemorate those murdered and fallen on October 7 and in the Swords of Iron War.
Minister Smotrich said that he came to the event from Mount Herzl, where Yosef Yehuda Chirak, who fell yesterday in Gaza, was laid to rest. He said that Huckabee and he met just two days ago with Yehuda Eliyahu, head of the Settlement Directorate at the Defense Ministry, and Chirak’s father-in-law.