Ambassador Huckabee calls out Israeli ministry on visa obstacles for Christians - interview

The United States-Israel Ambassadorship has placed Mike Huckabee in the hot seat of international and local politics. He enjoys one of the busiest Ambassadorships, tying him to some of the most historic events with quickly turning news cycles.

Describing his journey to becoming an ambassador, Mike Huckabee was candid about the weight of the role. "I knew it was going to be intense," he said. "I've been coming to Israel for 52 years ... over 100 times. So it's not that I'm shocked by most of what's happened." Still, stepping into the ambassador role during overlapping conflicts, the war in Gaza and the brief but fierce 12-day war with Iran, has been anything but symbolic. "It's certainly not been a ceremonial position," he added. "But I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

Ambassador Huckabee recounted how the role came to him just days after the election. "The phone rang ... it was President Trump. He doesn't ask—he tells," Ambassador Huckabee said, grinning. "He said, 'You're going to be my ambassador to Israel. You're going to go. You're going to be great." Trump, he joked, didn't miss the chance to say, "'You're not as great as your daughter (Sarah)—you'll never be as great as her—but you're going to go.'"

Within half an hour, the news was public. Ambassador Huckabee scrambled to reach his wife, who was volunteering in Oklahoma at the time. "I think I caught her about six minutes before it hit Fox News," he said. "Good thing I did, or I might not have survived not telling her first."

The discussion with The Media Line then focuses on the rapid-fire nature of Ambassador Huckabee's role, and questions reflect the wide range of issues that have arisen and still linger.

Ambassador Huckabee emphasizes the firm partnership the United States has with Israel, citing the closeness of the leaders, but also speaks of the hurt many in the evangelical Christian community feel, burdened by the challenges Israel's Interior Ministry poses. Teachers and pastors who want to work in the Jewish State often face exorbitant visa fees and other obstacles to secure entry.

In a strongly worded letter to Israel's Interior Minister Moshe Arbel last week, Ambassador Huckabee expressed deep frustration that prior discussions on the issue had failed to resolve what he called a "simple" matter of restoring long-standing visa practices to Christian evangelical groups visiting Israel.

Speaking to The Media Line, Ambassador Huckabee sharply criticized the recent bureaucratic hurdles Christian organizations face in obtaining visas to Israel, expressing his deep disappointment, asking, "Why do you hurt your friends?

"Why would Israel want to do something that was very detrimental to their best friends? ... We weren't asking for special treatment. Just don't rock the boat."

Ambassador Huckabee explained that before he arrived in Israel in January, the process suddenly changed. Visas were no longer approved based on the religious committee's recommendations but were denied outright, triggering costly and bureaucratic investigations, sometimes requiring a much more expensive visa.

However, he expressed confidence that the issue would be resolved soon at higher levels of government.

Ambassador Huckabee has called for an investigation into violent attacks that have erupted recently in the West Bank, most notably, resulting in the killing of American Palestinian Sayfollah Musallet. The ambassador met with the family of the young man who was killed and expressed the need for an investigation into the matter.

"An American citizen was murdered. It is an act of crime and terror ... We need to find out what happened—for his family's sake, but also for the sake of the relationships that exist in that part of Israel."

Turning to the International scene, Ambassador Huckabee opened with a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes military coordination between the United States and Israel during the war with Iran. While he remained cautious about revealing classified details, he described the level of cooperation as historic.

"The extraordinary level of cooperation between the two countries is one for the books," he said. "The relationship afterwards has only been enhanced exponentially. Both militaries … carried out a level of precision that you just have never seen."

He emphasized the miraculous nature of the operation with no combat fatalities, no aircraft losses, and an unmatched level of operational success.

"You step back and you look at that in the context of hundreds of ballistic missiles being fired, and you simply say God must have put his hand on this whole process."

In response to questions about negotiations with Qatar and the image of unity between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, Ambassador Huckabee was clear in countering media narratives of division.

"The cooperation is intense out of necessity, but it's also intense out of choice," he stressed. "These are two people who like each other."

He laid the blame for the impasse in hostage talks squarely on Hamas.

"Everybody wants it to end except Hamas," Ambassador Huckabee stated. "To leave Hamas there rewards them ...It would be the equivalent of saying to the Nazis at the end of World War II, yeah, you can stay."

Following the onset of war, speculation swirled about Iran's remaining military capacity and its nuclear ambitions. Ambassador Huckabee unequivocally asserted that Iran's military had been "severely crippled."

"They decimated Iran's ability to defend their airspace ... Even in 12 days of intense fighting, you're not going to eliminate every threat, but they made major, major damage."

He warned that a second round of military action was possible if Iran failed to grasp the message.

"If they didn't get that message through these 12 days, I'm not sure they ever will."

Asked about the Yemen-based Houthis' threat in the Red Sea, Ambassador Huckabee cautioned against further provocations.

"Take a look at your sponsor ... do you see a future for yourselves continuing to attack US assets?" he warned. "How does your future look if you keep sending ballistic missiles down on top of civilians?"

Ambassador Huckabee spoke passionately about the tragedy of Gaza's squandered potential under Hamas.

"Gaza could have been Singapore. Hamas turned it into Haiti," he told The Media Line, lamenting the misuse of billions in aid. "They built a tunnel system to kill Jews that's larger than the London Underground."

Ambassador Huckabee remarked, "That's the genius of the president."

He added, "I tell people all the time people don't get it ... He says something just to throw it out there but what he's doing he's prompting a level of discussion that would not have even started had he not thrown something out there."

"He doesn't mind pulling the pin and rolling the grenade in the room to see who runs for the door."

Although some Gazans express discontent with both Hamas and Israel, and indicate a preference for Fatah rulers, Ambassador Huckabee expressed skepticism.

"That particular government (Fatah) is not working real well for the people in Judea and Samaria. I'm not sure why it would work in Gaza."

"He preempted Syria from joining with the Russians, the Chinese, or the Iranians ...That new government wasn't strong enough to stand up itself ... and President Trump gave them a partner."

Ambassador Huckabee saw a glimmer of hope in the regional response to the Druze massacre, praising Israel's protective stance.

"The Druze are a very important part of Israeli society ... To their credit, Israelis are not going to let them just get slaughtered."

Ambassador Huckabee defended Prime Minister Netanyahu, drawing a parallel to former President Trump's legal challenges.

"If you cannot defeat your political opponent at the ballot box, you try to tie him up in court and drain him ... Is this really the time?"

His appearance at the Prime Minister's court hearing, he admitted with a smile, may have disrupted proceedings slightly, but carried a message of solidarity.

Reinvigorating the Abraham Accords remains high on Huckabee's ambassadorial agenda.

"We could see a total realignment in the Middle East ... Countries that once had guns aimed at Israel now having trade deals and airplanes of tourists."

Ambassador Huckabee continued, "Whether he (Trump) will ever get the Nobel Peace Prize or be respected and recognized for it, I don't know that he even cares because he'll have history on his side."

He particularly praised the UAE for continuing flights to Israel even after October 7, describing their commitment as "remarkable."

Ambassador Huckabee explained, "Most people don't understand that on October 7, they were flying 17 flights between the UAE and Israel, and on October 8, they flew 17 flights, and every day since until aerospace was shut down, they continued to fly flights."

He continued, "Now when the American carrier suspended and all the Europeans did, the one airline that continued to honor its pact of coming to Israel was the UAE. I hope every Israeli gives them a standing ovation for their cooperation and the level of commitment to the agreement and its process. I salute them."

When asked about his "wish-list" as ambassador, Huckabee listed three goals: expanding the Abraham Accords, "advancing long-term peace in Judea and Samaria," and—most personally—seeing all hostages returned.

"This pin I wear—I want to take it off, throw it away, and never see it again … That's the day I'll cherish and savor."

When The Media Line asked Ambassador Huckabee what he thinks about when he goes home at night, and what he has taken away from his experience so far as ambassador to Israel, he responded, "Life in the Middle East is complicated, but I knew that coming in ... I think what I go home with every day is a sense of satisfaction that I am blessed beyond description to have been sent by the President to be in a challenging but incredibly important role for my country that I love and cherish, and to be part of a relationship, not with a friend or an ally, but with a partner."

He added, "We have a lot of allies. We only really have one partner, and to be the ambassador of the United States of America, to salute that flag that's out there on our lawn, and then to be able to represent us to our partner is an incredible honor and privilege."