US Senate confirms pro-settlement evangelical Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel

The US Senate on Wednesday confirmed Mike Huckabee, a far-right evangelical Christian and outspoken supporter of illegal Israeli settlements, as Washington’s next ambassador to Israel.

Huckabee, who has repeatedly claimed that Israel holds a “divine right” to occupy the West Bank, will head to the US embassy in Jerusalem at a time when Israel is accelerating its campaign of land seizure and forced displacement in Gaza - with full backing from President Donald Trump.

The Senate vote passed largely along party lines, with just one Democrat, John Fetterman, joining Republicans in endorsing the nomination.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar quickly phoned Huckabee to offer congratulations, calling him a "true friend of the Jewish state".

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich - himself a West Bank settler and a key figure in the movement to annex Palestinian land - celebrated the appointment, saying he looked forward to working with Huckabee on “shared values and common goals.”

Trump praised Huckabee after the vote, declaring: "He’s going to bring home the bacon,” before awkwardly clarifying that bacon “isn’t too big” in Israel due to kosher dietary laws.

A former Arkansas governor, Baptist preacher, and right-wing media personality, Huckabee has long been an enthusiastic supporter of Israeli expansionism.

On a 2017 visit to an illegal settlement in the West Bank - territory seized by Israel in the 1967 war - he declared that "there is no such thing as an occupation,” and insisted Israel “has title deed to Judea and Samaria," using a biblical term favoured by settler movements.

During his confirmation hearing, Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen pressed Huckabee on whether his views amounted to supporting the expulsion of Palestinians. Huckabee denied it, claiming instead he was referencing a “biblical mandate” dating back to the time of Abraham.

Despite these extreme views, Huckabee repeatedly told lawmakers he would defer to Trump’s policies, rather than act on personal beliefs - though Trump’s own stance has shown little restraint.

While initially voicing support for a ceasefire in Gaza, Trump has vowed unwavering support for Israel’s war, including fast-tracked arms deliveries and public endorsements of Israeli military actions that have devastated the besieged enclave.

Under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, settlement expansion has accelerated across the West Bank, in open defiance of international law. While Netanyahu has stopped short of formal annexation, his coalition - bolstered by extremist settler factions - continues to push for full absorption of Palestinian land into the Israeli state.

Huckabee’s appointment signals further entrenchment of US complicity in Israel’s ongoing violations of Palestinian rights.

Huckabee is also a television host and plays bass guitar in a classic rock cover band. His daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, served as Trump’s press secretary and is currently the governor of Arkansas.