U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee paid a high-profile visit Wednesday to Rabbi Dov Landau, a leading figure in Israel’s Lithuanian Haredi community, at the rabbi’s home in Bnei Brak.
The meeting, held via an interpreter, comes amid rising tensions over proposed legislation that would largely exempt ultra-Orthodox men from IDF service.
During the meeting, Huckabee appeared to weigh in on the debate, offering a message of support for Torah scholars.
“In addition to soldiers, we need Torah scholars,” he told Rabbi Landau. “They remind us who you are and why you are here.”
Some saw the statement as a diplomatic nod toward preserving the current framework that allows most ultra-Orthodox men to study in yeshivas rather than serve in the military.
Rabbi Landau used the meeting to deliver a pointed message to the U.S. administration.
“Please tell [U.S.] President [Donald] Trump to support the Torah world,” he told Huckabee. “The Jewish people live and endure through the Torah. Torah scholars protect the people, and their status must be safeguarded and sanctified.”
He expressed deep concern over the draft legislation, warning that the Torah world is under threat.
“The Torah community in the Holy Land is in dire straits,” he said. “The legal system is issuing arrest warrants against yeshivah students—for the ‘crime’ of studying Torah.”
Landau emphasized that harming Torah study is not only an internal Jewish issue but a global one.
“The Torah has protected Israel throughout its history. Any harm to Torah learning endangers the entire nation and even the world,” he said, citing a biblical verse: “If not for My covenant day and night, I would not have established the laws of heaven and earth.”
The rabbi also took a moment to express gratitude to Trump and the American people. “I would like to express appreciation for President Trump’s steadfast support for Israel, especially during the recent conflict with Iran,” he said.
