Huckabee once said that he believes there’s “really no such thing as a Palestinian.”
The Senate has confirmed former Arkansas governor and fervent Christian Zionist Mike Huckabee as the U.S.’s next ambassador to Israel after numerous rights groups called on the Senate to oppose his nomination.
Huckabee was confirmed 53 to 46, in what was a largely party line vote — except for Democratic Sen. John Fetterman (Pennsylvania), who voted with Republicans in favor.
Advocates for Palestinian rights have long raised alarm about Huckabee’s nomination over his clear bias toward Israel and his numerous statements dehumanizing Palestinians.
He has visited Israel over 100 times and espouses his beliefs as a Christian Zionist who believes that Jewish people must take over Palestine in order to fulfill a Biblical prophecy; many anti-Zionists have pointed out that Christian Zionists often hold antisemitic beliefs in their support of this goal.
Huckabee has backed President Donald Trump’s plan for the total ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza, and has called for Israel to annex the West Bank — the latter of which he refers to as “Judea and Samaria,” a term used by Zionists to erase Palestinians’ name for the region and imply Israel’s supposed “right” to the land. He refuses to acknowledge that Israel is occupying Palestine, despite international authorities recognizing Israel’s illegal occupation.
Huckabee also once said, at a campaign stop in 2008, that there is “really no such thing as a Palestinian,” erasing the existence of an entire people and stripping them of their cultural identity — much like Trump and Israeli officials seem to be seeking to do with their genocide in Gaza.
When asked about this comment during his confirmation hearing, he denied that this comment had anything to do with the forced expulsion of Palestinians, saying, “I simply referenced the biblical mandate that goes all the way back to the time of Abraham, 3,500 years ago.”
Dozens of rights and faith groups had protested Huckabee’s confirmation, and have sent numerous letters urging senators to vote against him. Advocates for Palestinian rights have condemned Huckabee’s confirmation.
“The Senate’s decision to confirm Mike Huckabee as Ambassador to Israel is a threat to Palestinians and Israelis, and to Jews, immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, and people of color in the United States,” said IfNotNow in a statement. “He has claimed Palestinians do not exist & has allied with Israel’s violent settler movement and extremist evangelicals in the United States — and will undoubtedly pursue his dangerous Christian Nationalist worldview as ambassador.”
Many have specifically called out Fetterman, who is facing increasing isolation from his voter base and fellow Democrats over his zealous support of Israel since he took office.
“Fetterman was the only ‘Democrat’ who voted for Trump’s [Attorney General] Pam Bondi, who is ripping up the Constitution. Now he is the only ‘Democrat’ to vote for Huckabee — who wants to bring about Armageddon by ethnically cleansing Palestinians,” said the Institute for Middle East Understanding Policy Project. “Pennsylvania deserves a new Senator.”
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