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As some on the right become more skeptical of the U.S.-Israel relationship, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee warns that the trepidation is fueled by what he calls “biblical ignorance” and a misunderstanding of what it means to be “America First.”
Speaking to Fox News Digital ahead of the 15th anniversary of the U.S. Israel Education Association’s founding, Huckabee rejected the idea that putting America first means pushing away allies. Rather, he argued that support for Israel is aligned with U.S. interests and the religious convictions held by many Christians.
“When I look at the things on the right what I see is that there’s biblical ignorance,” Huckabee said. “People who say, ‘you know, God has no longer got a promise that he’s keeping to the Jewish people,’ and I’m thinking ‘well, that’s news to God because he doesn’t break a promise.”
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee says resentment towards the Jewish state on the right is fueled by “ignorance” of the Bible and a misunderstanding of what it means to be “America First.” (Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)
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“If God broke his promise to the Jews, then what makes me, as a Christian, think that he won’t break his promise to me?” he added.
In addition to being the former governor of Arkansas, Huckabee was also ordained as a Baptist minister and served as President of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, giving him a perspective shaped by both politics and faith.
The ambassador also dismissed notions that Christians are not welcomed or allowed to worship freely in Israel. He told Fox News Digital that he plays bass guitar in his church praise band every Sunday and that “nobody throws a chair at me.”
Skepticism and outright hostility toward Israel has become more prevalent in recent years in some corners of right-wing media and among more heterodox podcast stars, such as Joe Rogan, who said Wednesday that there was no doubt Israel was guilty of “genocide” in Gaza.
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However, the ambassador’s concerns go beyond theological debates. Huckabee argued that some conservatives have misinterpreted the “America First” movement as one of pure isolationism.
“There’s another thing on the right that I’m concerned about. People who say, ‘Look, I’m an America First person,’ I say ‘I am too.’ I was MAGA before anybody knew what MAGA was,” Huckabee told Fox News Digital. “America First has never meant America only.”
Ambassador Mike Huckabee argues that some on the right who are turning against Israel are doing so because of a misunderstanding of what it means to be “America First.” (Maâayan Toaf (GPO)/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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The ambassador explained that America’s interests do not stop at its borders, particularly when it comes to combatting enemy threats.
He pointed to Iran, saying that the regime has spent decades calling for “death to America.” Huckabee also cited Iranian proxies across the globe and the threats they pose as key reasons why the U.S. cannot afford to ignore what happens overseas. For Huckabee, the threats emanating from Iran and its proxies reinforce his belief that putting America first does not mean turning inward.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee speaks to Fox News Digital during an interview at the American embassy in Jerusalem, Israel. (Yoav Dudkevitch/ TPS-IL)
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“They’ve never changed their message that they want to murder us. So, when people tell you for 47 years their goal is to kill you, you’re pretty stupid if you don’t pay attention to that, and even more stupid if you do nothing about it,” he said.