Future American ambassador to Israel reiterates his 'support' for West Bank annexation

In his first speech since announcing his forthcoming appointment as U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee gave an interview on Israeli army radio on Wednesday.

Asked about the U.S. administration's support for Israel taking full control of the West Bank, now jointly administered with the Palestinian Authority, Huckabee said he was “of course” in favor. “There has never been an American president who has done so much to promote understanding of Israel's sovereignty. Since moving the embassy, recognizing the Golan Heights and Jerusalem as the capital, no one has done more than President Trump, and I fully expect that to continue,” he said.

'There is no such thing as the West Bank'

The nomination of Mike Huckabee, 69, will be put to a vote in the U.S. Senate, where the Republicans now have a majority. He will take office on the heels of Donald Trump, scheduled for Jan. 20. “Mike has been a great public servant, governor and faith leader for many years,” wrote the newly-elected president in a statement announcing his appointment. "He loves Israel and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring peace to the Middle East.”

Former governor of Arkansas, Huckabee is a Baptist pastor who has become a figure of the conservative evangelical Christian right, and a notorious opponent of LGBT+ rights. He has twice run for the Republican presidential nomination, most notably in 2016 when Donald Trump won.

In the same interview on Galei Tsahal, he also made a point of mentioning his “100 visits” to Israel and “Judea and Samaria,” before suggesting that sovereignty over this region was “necessary” for Israel's security. “I firmly believe that the people of Israel deserve a safe and secure country. And anything I can do to contribute to that will be a great privilege for me,” he added.

Notably, on Jan. 3, 2017, he had taken part in an event entitled “Build Israel Great Again” held in Ma'ale Adumin, an illegal settlement near occupied East Jerusalem, echoing candidate Trump's presidential campaign slogan “Make America Great Again.” "There's no such thing as the West Bank, it's Judea and Samaria,” he proclaimed at the time. "There are certain words I refuse to use. Settlements don't exist. They're communities, neighborhoods, towns. There is no such thing as occupation."

'2025, the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria'

This appointment follows that of Florida Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, who has also distinguished himself for his pro-Israeli stance, as have many other figures in the new Republican president's governmental cast.

Israel Gantz, who heads the board of Yesha, the main organization representing Israeli settlers, “thanked” the president-elect in a statement for his “good choice” of Huckabee, an “old friend of the Israeli settlements.”

Trump also announced on Tuesday the appointment of Steven Witkoff, a New York real estate investor, as the United States' special envoy to the Middle East.

The day before, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had made headlines by announcing that, with Trump's victory, the plan was only “one step away.” “2025 is the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” he launched at a meeting of religious Zionists. “The new Nazis must pay the price for the land that will be permanently taken from them, both in Gaza and in Judea and Samaria,” he added, referring to all Palestinians.

Occupied by Israel since 1967, the West Bank has seen an unprecedented upsurge in violence since the start of the Gaza war. According to Unrwa, the U.N. refugee agency, at least 754 Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers between Oct. 7, 2023 and Nov. 10, 2024.