Trump picks former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee to be US ambassador to Israel

President-elect Donald Trump said he intends to nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as US ambassador to Israel, a high-profile diplomatic post in a tumultuous region.

Huckabee, if confirmed, will arrive in Jerusalem to address conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon that have raged for over a year. On the campaign trail, Trump, a close ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has vowed to end the conflict.

Peace talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled in recent days after Qatar pulled out of its meditation efforts. Huckabee is likely to be at the center of international pressure on the United States to help broker a ceasefire agreement.

Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post Tuesday, lifting a longtime loyalist and former rival for the 2016 Republican nomination. Huckabee, the host of a television talk show of the same name, campaigned for Trump this cycle and hit the trail with the former president. , including in the battleground Pennsylvania in the race’s final lap.

“I am pleased to announce that the highly respected former Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, has been nominated to be the United States Ambassador to Israel,” Trump said in a statement.

“Mike has been a great public servant, governor and leader of faith for many years. He loves Israel and the people of Israel, and in the same way the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring peace to the Middle East!”

In a statement congratulating Huckabee, the Republican Jewish Coalition praised the former governor as “a longtime friend” of the group, praised the former governor’s “genuine love of Israel” and promised that his appointment would “strengthen the relationship between the United States and Israel to even greater heights.”

Huckabee’s daughter, current Arkansas governor and former Trump administration official Sarah Huckabee Sanders, was also a top surrogate for Trump.

Over 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Gaza health officials. 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas attack and over 250 people were taken hostage, including American citizens.