President-elect of the United States Donald Trump has chosen former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel.
On the 12th (local time), Trump released a statement saying, "I am pleased to announce that the respected former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has been nominated as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel," adding, "Mike is an excellent public official, governor, and a leader of faith." He also stated, "He loves Israel and the Israeli people. And the Israeli people love him as well," emphasizing, "Mike will work tirelessly to bring peace to the Middle East."
The U.S. Ambassador to Israel must be confirmed by the Senate. Major foreign media outlets have evaluated Huckabee's nomination as a welcome choice for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who seeks to strengthen U.S. support for Israel.
Former Governor Huckabee served as the governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. A conservative and former Baptist pastor, he enjoys strong support from the American Christian fundamentalist community. He has also previously challenged in the Republican primaries twice for the presidential election. He is the father of Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House Press Secretary during the first term of the Trump administration and the current governor of Arkansas. In 2018, he even expressed a desire to build a vacation home in the West Bank, which is occupied by Israel.
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