In February 2022, newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides announced that he would not visit any “illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.” A month earlier, in a media interview, Nides had stated that such visits, in his view, could exacerbate regional tensions and were therefore inappropriate for someone in his role.
Nides’ stance marked a return to the traditional U.S. diplomatic approach, in contrast to his predecessor, Ambassador David Friedman, who, under President Donald Trump, had officially visited Israeli settlements beyond the 1967 lines. At the time, J Street condemned Friedman’s actions, stating that his visit “crossed a major, longstanding red line of bipartisan U.S. policy.”
This week, however, newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and his wife Janet made their first official visit to Judea and Samaria. Their tour began at the Shiloh archaeological site, where they were accompanied by Binyamin Regional Council Head Israel Gantz and Yesha Council CEO Omer Rahamim. At the ancient sanctuary site, Ambassador Huckabee recited Hannah’s prayer, offering it for the release of the hostages and the protection of IDF soldiers.
Ambassador Huckabee stated (as translated from Hebrew press reports): “I have always referred to this region as ‘Judea and Samaria.’ Using any other term would be both a distortion of history and a betrayal of the Bible. President Trump deeply loves this land. You, the people living here, have made great sacrifices—offering your blood, sweat, and tears. Your presence here is nothing short of miraculous. It is only through God’s will that your continued existence in this land can be explained.
“I believe in the Bible, and my faith is inseparable from yours. I owe you a spiritual debt. The Jewish people are a revolutionary force in the world—a model of how to live according to divine principles. Jewish existence testifies to life lived under God’s law, and that is precisely why there are those who seek to destroy the Jewish people: because they ultimately seek to erase God Himself.
You are the embodiment of God’s presence and His chosen path in this land. You are not alone. We stand with you, and so do many others around the world. Those who do not stand with you, do not stand with God.”
Israel Gantz welcomed the incoming ambassador, saying: “Welcome home—to the Holy Land, the homeland for which the Jewish people have prayed for over 3,000 years. Ancient Shiloh once served as the spiritual and national center that united the tribes of Israel, and today we stand here, in the modern State of Israel, united and strong, together with you.
“As someone who has visited this sacred place of prayer more than once, your journey to your new, significant role is a testament to answered prayers—yours and ours. Your success is our success. Together, we will strengthen Israel. Together, we will strengthen Judea and Samaria. Together, we will make history.”
.@BenShapiro and I covered a lot of ground. Here’s a piece, but catch the full episode wherever you get your podcasts. https://t.co/bA3lX34kX0
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@USAmbIsrael) May 2, 2025
Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, is a steadfast supporter of the Israeli settlement enterprise. Before the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020, he urged President Trump to move forward with the annexation of Judea and Samaria. He has described the 2005 disengagement from Gaza as “one of the great failures of the Israeli government,” asserting that the Jewish residents of Gush Katif were “marched out at gunpoint.” Huckabee has often emphasized that his connection to Israel is “more than political—it’s personal.”
Huckabee has consistently voiced opposition to the two-state solution. During the previous Trump administration, he argued that the PA Arabs’ rejection of the peace plan developed by Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior advisor, demonstrated a fundamental lack of interest in reaching any form of agreement.
On the ongoing war in Gaza, Huckabee has taken a firm stance, stating, “There is no good reason to sign a ceasefire with Hamas, because they pretend to consider what is offered, but in the end, they always reject it.” In a June interview with the NewsNation television network, he further asserted: “With Hamas, you don’t negotiate. You have to defeat them. You have to destroy them.”
