Former Arkansas Governor and U.S. Ambassador to Israel nominee Mike Huckabee believes that President Donald Trump will bring a “change of biblical proportion” to the Middle East. Speaking with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Huckabee noted, “What the Israelis want is something simple: They want peace. They want their people home.” His comments follow an earlier interview with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on that same show where he spoke about the returning hostages from last Saturday who were held “in captivity, solely in tunnels, in terrible situations.”
“They [the hostages] came back emaciated, and what we hear from them are horror stories which only exemplify why we must do the deal,“ Herzog said, showing before and after pictures of returned hostage Eli Sharabi, whose family was killed by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
The Israeli president also thanked Trump for “being such a strong force in bringing the deal and making it happen,“ according to The Christian Post.
Huckabee, whose appointment still awaits Senate approval, likewise lauded Trump for his efforts.
“I think when you listen to the president, he makes it very clear there are two things that are fundamental; two things that drive everything. One, get the hostages home. And two, make sure that Israel never has to experience the massacre that they experienced on Oct. 7,“ he said regarding Trump’s policies for Israel and Gaza.
The former governor of Arkansas also rejected attempts to bring about a two-state solution, which is being advocated by European and Arab countries as a way to end the war. He added that Hamas must ultimately be removed.
“As long as Hamas exists, that is a threat to the Israelis,“ Huckabee stated. “They have said even as recent as two weeks ago that they would try to do another October the 7th. So, let’s not be in any way fooled that they want peace. They don’t. They want the destruction of the Jewish state. And America must help protect the people of Israel, the Jewish state, and the Jewish people. It’s as simple as that, and you can’t do it as long as Hamas is in play.“
When asked what he thinks will take place in Gaza, and if the U.S. will take ownership, Huckabee refused to provide further details.
“I don’t think we know. The one thing we know is that Hamas is not going to be able to exist. That’s just a done deal. It’s sort of like saying Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon, and Hamas cannot continue to exist. They can never have anything to do with the governance of Gaza,“ he told Bartiromo.
Huckabee explained that Israel previously attempted to give the Palestinians a state when they handed over Gaza.
“They militarily marched 10,000 Jewish people out of Gaza, turned it into a complete Palestinian state, and the result we saw [on] Oct. 7. So there’s something that has to be rethought,“ he said.
“We don’t know exactly what might happen in Gaza, but here’s what could have happened in Gaza,“ Huckabee continued. “Gaza could have been Singapore. Instead, Hamas turned it into Haiti and, in fact, maybe worse, far worse than that. So let’s hope that people will listen to President Trump.”
He indicated that Trump’s first presidency was the only time the Middle East enjoyed “real significant peace,” and he is “very optimistic“ about the future in Trump’s second term.
“I’m personally optimistic that we’re going to see something bold. I will use this term, Maria. I think we will see something of biblical proportion happen with his leadership in the Middle East.“
Regarding his upcoming Senate confirmation to assume his position as U.S. ambassador in Israel, Huckabee, “It’s all up in the hands of the Senate.“
“I hope it’s soon because I think that our country needs our ambassador in place in this very, very delicate and difficult region. And so I would hope that even Democrats would say the sooner the better.”
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Idaho Family Policy Center
Originally published February 11, 2025.
