Trump picks ex-Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee to be Israel ambassador
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is a staunch supporter of Israel and a defender of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, considered illegal by most of the international community.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
WASHINGTON - President-elect Donald Trump said on Nov 11 he is going to nominate former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee to be the US ambassador to Israel.
Mr Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, is a staunch supporter of Israel and a defender of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, considered illegal by most of the international community.
"He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!" Trump said, in a statement.
Mr Huckabee, 69, has criticised President Joe Biden for pressuring Israel to moderate its conduct of the Gaza war.
"If a person is pro-Israel, how can you be pro-Biden because the Biden administration has made it very clear they will make concessions to Hamas," Mr Huckabee said, in an interview in March on News Nation.
Mr Huckabee served as Arkansas governor from 1996 to 2007.
He fell short in bids for the Republican nomination for president in 2008 and 2016.
His daughter, Ms Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is the current governor of Arkansas. She served as Trump's White House press secretary from 2017 to 2019. REUTERS
