Palestinian Authority deputy leader Hussein al-Sheikh met with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Tuesday in Ramallah, marking their first official meeting, according to al-Sheikh.
According to P.A. chief Mahmoud Abbas’s second-in-command, the two discussed “efforts to stop the war in the Gaza Strip, release the hostages, and deliver urgent aid to the Palestinian people there.”
Al-Sheikh and Huckabee were also said to have talked about developments in Judea and Samaria, including the “severe economic and financial crisis” facing the Palestinian Authority and alleged violence by Israeli residents of the region.
“Ways to strengthen bilateral relations were explored, as well as the importance of the American role in achieving stability, security and peace in the region,” said al-Sheikh.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem had not published a readout of the meeting by time of publication.
Ramallah’s invitation to Huckabee signaled a shift in the Palestinian Authority‘s approach to the Trump administration’s envoy to Israel, after it refused to engage with his predecessor David Friedman during Trump’s first term.
Huckabee has been a staunch advocate for Israel’s rights to Judea and Samaria, and in May became the first U.S. ambassador to pray at the Ancient Shiloh biblical site in southern Samaria on an official visit.
“I have never used any term other than Judea and Samaria,” Huckabee declared during his visit to the site. The envoy added, “It would be a historical injustice and a denial of the Bible to use other terms.”
According to a recent survey, 64% of Israelis oppose the creation of a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 lines. Just 8% support statehood without conditions, while 17% would back it if Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state and agree to demilitarization.
Among Jewish respondents, opposition is higher—77% overall, and 88% among right-wing voters. Among Arab respondents, 34% support an unconditional Palestinian state, and 26% conditionally.
Even with Saudi normalization on the table, 58% of respondents oppose Palestinian statehood.
The P.A. also fares poorly in public opinion. Some 53% of Israelis oppose any role for the P.A. in post-war Gaza, compared to 26% who support involving it. Jewish opposition is stronger at 59%, compared to 30% among Arab Israelis.
Two-thirds of Israelis (66%) fear another Oct. 7-style massacre, this time from Judea and Samaria.
