US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stronger-than-expected showing in Israel’s election has changed the political landscape, but warned that the decisive battle will now take place in negotiations to form a governing coalition.
Speaking in an interview with Newsmax, Huckabee addressed the election results, which left Netanyahu’s bloc with 53 seats and opposition leader Eisenkot’s bloc with 48, both short of the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.
"I think the big surprise the other night was that Netanyahu actually came out several points ahead of Eisenkot, 53 to 48," Huckabee said. "Many people had predicted that the change bloc would be the one that would win."
The ambassador pointed to the unusually large number of Israelis who traveled from abroad to participate in the election, noting that approximately 160,000 people flew into the country to cast their ballots. He explained that Israel does not allow mail-in or absentee voting, requiring voters to appear in person on election day with photo identification.
"Many people saw that influx of voters as coming in to vote against the prime minister. Obviously, they were wrong about that," Huckabee said.
Despite Netanyahu’s lead, Huckabee emphasized that the election results themselves do not determine who will become prime minister. The next stage will depend on which political leader can assemble a coalition capable of commanding a Knesset majority.
"The first thing that happens is there will be an opportunity. The president will allow either Eisenkot or Netanyahu to have the first shot at forming a government. They will have 42 days to get to 61 votes," he explained.
Drawing a distinction between the political systems in Israel and the United States, Huckabee noted that American elections generally produce a clear winner on election night, while Israel’s parliamentary system often requires extensive negotiations afterward.
"In Israel, the night of the election is really the beginning, not the end," he said. "So now it's time to see who can form the coalition. That's going to be the key. Who can get 61 seats in the Knesset, that's who's going to be the leader and the prime minister."
A unity government and the question of Arab parties
Huckabee was also asked about reports in The Jerusalem Post that sources close to Netanyahu were encouraging the formation of a national unity government with Eisenkot, despite reluctance on both sides to enter such an arrangement.
The ambassador suggested that categorical promises made during election campaigns should not necessarily be taken as indications of what politicians will do during coalition negotiations.
"Politicians have said throughout this campaign here in Israel, there is no way I'll sit in the government with Netanyahu, or there's no way I'll sit in the government that involves Naftali Bennett or whoever. Throw all that out the window," Huckabee said.
He argued that politicians who have ruled out particular partnerships may reconsider their positions when faced with the possibility of remaining outside the government.
"Politicians say that during the election season, but if it comes down to being in the government or having nothing but a trip home and spend the next four years wondering what happened, many of them will, let's just say they'll renege on that absolutely will not sit with promise."
The ambassador took a different position regarding Netanyahu’s refusal to include Arab parties in his government. Asked whether excluding them was a wise decision, Huckabee described it as necessary, pointing to statements made by some Arab Knesset members and their attitudes toward the October 7 Hamas massacre.
He noted that Arab parties had secured 19 seats, but expressed concern about some of the politicians elected to represent them.
"Some of them have been outspoken in their condemnation of the very nation they want to be a part of," Huckabee said. "And they have expressed no real, I guess, condemnation of what Hamas did on October 7th."
Huckabee argued that refusing to condemn the killing of approximately 1,200 people would raise serious questions about whether those politicians should participate in governing the country.
"That's going to be troubling, and it would be troubling for anyone to include them if that's going to be their position in a government," he said.
Investigation into suspected foreign interference
Another issue raised during the interview was an investigation into allegations that foreign entities attempted to influence Israel’s election by directing money into Arab communities.
The Newsmax host cited reports that the Mossad had joined the Shin Bet in investigating possible involvement by foreign actors, potentially including Qatar and Turkey. Such financial interference, if established, would be illegal.
Huckabee confirmed that an investigation was underway and described the allegations as extremely serious, while stressing that its findings were not yet known.
"It is underway, and it's a very serious and a full level investigation because it would be a serious, serious issue that would have a dramatic impact on not only the election outcome, but it would also, I think, really stir up some very strong feelings in Israel if there was outside influence in this very sort of under the radar and clandestine way," he said.
The ambassador emphasized that the investigation had not yet produced publicly established conclusions and said Israelis across the political spectrum wanted to know that the voting process had been legitimate.
"We don't know the results of that investigation," he said, adding that Israelis wanted to make sure the election was "up front, clean and clear."
Huckabee criticizes European leaders
The interview also addressed recent unrest across Europe and the positions taken by European leaders toward Israel.
Huckabee criticized what he described as European governments’ attempts to dictate Israeli policy, arguing that those leaders should devote greater attention to developments within their own countries.
"Very troubling, Tom. It's an indication of great unrest within Europe," he said. "They seem to be focused, at least their leaders, on trying to dictate to Israel what it should be doing and how it ought to be managing its own affairs."
"They might want to just kind of look a little inward and take care of their own business and make sure their streets don't become war zones," he added.
"What we share in intelligence actually saves American lives"
Toward the end of the interview, Huckabee was asked about the future of US-Israel relations amid growing political debate in the United States, where some candidates have called for Washington to distance itself from Israel.
The ambassador argued that the relationship remains essential to American national security, particularly because of intelligence cooperation and the shared effort to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
"It's important because what we share in intelligence actually saves American lives almost every day," Huckabee said. "Americans don't understand that, but it happens."
He also praised President Donald Trump’s approach to Iran, saying the president had taken action after decades of threats by the Iranian regime against the United States.
"When we deal with Iran, as President Trump has had the courage to do, thank God, after 47 and a half years of hearing them tell us they're going to kill us, he's taken action," Huckabee said.
He concluded by emphasizing that the relationship between Washington and Jerusalem carries both strategic and operational importance, regardless of the political debates taking place in either country.
"The relationship we have with Israel is very important, both strategically as well as tactically, in making sure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon."