US Ambassador Mike Huckabee is leaning on decades of evangelical faith as he defends American support for Israel, even as some MAGA-aligned figures openly question the alliance, The Wall Street Journal said on Saturday.
Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, first visited Israel at age 17 and has returned more than 100 times, many through his travel company, Blue Diamond Travel, which organized pilgrimages for tens of thousands of Americans.
The ambassador's stance has drawn criticism from figures including Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.), who have questioned whether US support for Israel serves national interests.
Carlson called Christian Zionists “Christian heresy,” prompting Huckabee to tell the WSJ, “I’m very sad for Tucker, who has revealed a level of hate toward me and other Christians. I’m not sure Tucker is the right person to give me a theology lesson… I’ll leave that to God.”
The WSJ assured that Huckabee is the first prominent evangelical to serve as US ambassador to Israel. His tenure reflects an administration that has shifted longstanding US policy, including recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem.
Polling by the Pew Research Center showed strong support for Israel among white evangelicals. The data reported indicated that 72% of white evangelicals view Israel favorably, nearly matching the 73% approval rate among American Jews.
However, the WSJ noted that University of Maryland polling showed only 32% of evangelical Republicans aged 18-34 sympathize more with Israelis than Palestinians, compared with 69% of older evangelicals.
Huckabee told the WSJ that he is concerned about declining support among younger Christians, citing limited exposure to biblical teachings regarding Israel.
A generational shift in evangelical views on Israel
Richard Land, former head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy arm, told The WSJ that he shares these concerns, citing a generational shift in evangelical views on Israel.
Huckabee has actively advocated for Israel’s positions in the West Bank, using the biblical terms Judea and Samaria and rejecting the label “occupation,” describing the communities as neighborhoods and cities with legal title held by Israel.
He has also questioned the concept of a distinct Palestinian identity, remarks that have drawn criticism from some former US officials and supporters of a Palestinian state.
Huckabee explained to the WSJ that his personal beliefs inform his diplomatic work. “You can’t separate who you are, what your values are, what your worldview is, and I don’t try to separate mine from who I am,” he said.