Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said on Tuesday that he hoped to be in Israel within the next two weeks in his new position as U.S. ambassador to Israel.
Huckabee, a staunch supporter of the Jewish state, made the remarks at the White House flanked by U.S. President Donald Trump on the day his Senate confirmation for the posting got underway.
Huckabee said that he aimed to be in Israel by Passover, which this year falls on April 12.
“Mike is going to do wonders for Israel. He actually probably gets along with both sides,“ said Trump. “That’ll be interesting to see. The world is watching you, Mike, so good luck.”
Meanwhile, a group of five hundred Jewish and Christian faith leaders put out a letter in support of Huckabee’s nomination for the role.
“Mike Huckabee has dedicated his life to building bridges between Jews and Christians,” said Rabbi Tuly Weisz, Founder of Israel365 Action, an Israel-based NGO which organized the initiative. “He understands all the shared challenges faced by Israel and America, making him the ideal candidate for this role.”
“With this choice of a prominent Christian leader, President Trump has made it clear that the bond between the United States and Israel is based, first and foremost, on the shared commitment to the truth of the word of God in the Bible,” the letter states.
American evangelical leader Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem, had previously sent out a separate letter of support to U.S. senators.
Most mainstream American Jewish organizations have come out in support of Huckabee, while far-left and progressive groups like J Street opposed his appointment.
