Trump picks hard-liner Mike Huckabee as US ambassador to Israel

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday he had nominated Mike Huckabee as US ambassador to Israel under his incoming administration, putting a stalwart supporter of that country's government in a key role.

"Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years," Trump said in a statement, referring to the Christian pastor-turned-politician.

"He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him."

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar quickly offered his congratulations to Huckabee, who has in the past said there was "no such thing as an occupation" when it came to Palestinian territories.

"I look forward to working with you to strengthen the bond between our peoples," Minister Saar posted to Huckabee on X. "As a longstanding friend of Israel and our eternal capital Jerusalem -- I hope you will feel very much at home."

Huckabee, 69, ran twice for the Republican Party presidential nomination, including in 2016 against eventual winner Trump, who Huckabee was quick to back after falling out of the race.

He has often spoken passionately about his Christian faith and his opposition to gay rights.

Huckabee, whose nomination requires confirmation by the US Senate, has traveled to Israel regularly since 1973, and has led numerous tours there.

In 2017, he was present in Maale Adumim for the expansion of one of Israel's largest settlements in the West Bank, strongly suggesting he was in support of Trump's positions on Israel.

"There is no such thing as the West Bank -- it's Judea and Samaria," Huckabee told CNN there at the time, using the Biblical terms for the area.

"There's no such thing as a settlement; they're communities, they're neighborhoods, they're cities. There's no such thing as an occupation," he added.

In December 2023 he visited Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where dozens of Israelis were massacred in the October 7 attack by Hamas militants, and said: "I wanted to be here to say I stand with Israel. I stand with the Jewish people."

Huckabee was born in Hope, Arkansas, the same town that gave rise to Democrat Bill Clinton, who served as the state's governor before he became president.

His daughter Sarah Huckabee Sanders is the current governor of Arkansas. She also served as Trump's White House press secretary from 2017 to 2019.