Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee praises Jewish state, blasts PA during Israel trip

U.S. politician Mike Huckabee commented on the situation in Israel during his trip to the country last week.

By World Israel News Staff

Last week, Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee made his fifth trip to Israel this year. He had much to say about Israel-U.S. relations, President Trump, the Palestinians, Biblical archaeology, BDS and the political left.

Israel-U.S. Relations

Huckabee shared that support for Israel in the U.S. “is not as bipartisan as it used to be, and that troubles me,” reported Arutz 7. He claimed that Democratic leadership does not “push back” their colleagues when they make anti-Semitic statements.

“I would say, in fairness, that historically the Democrats were probably more consistently pro-Israel than the Republicans were. That’s changed dramatically in the last 15 years,” he said.

To foreign correspondents in Jerusalem on Monday, Huckabee praised President Donald Trump for moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

“I could not be more grateful and prouder than I am of the president for the manner in which he has supported Israel and shown his understanding of the value of our relationship,” Huckabee said. “He has far exceeded my hopes and expectations… He has done exactly what he ought to do. He has taken the steps that the United States can take. Recognizing Jerusalem, bringing the embassy here and then… [his] declaration on the Golan Heights.”

Huckabee said that he directly asked President Trump what made him move the embassy, explaining, “[Trump] just shrugged his shoulders and he said, ‘Well, I said I was going to do it, and it’s the right thing to do.’”

The Palestinian Authority

Huckabee lambasted the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) refusal to consider the Trump administration’s “Deal of the Century” Middle East peace plan, during a meeting on Monday with with Dr. Joe Frager, a well-known supporter of Israel and organizer of the annual Israel Day concert in Central Park, New York.

Calling the Palestinian reaction to Trump’s plan a “tantrum,” Huckabee said, “Israel can’t have a peace process – no one can…[when] one of the supposed partners in a peace process says ‘no’ to everything. It is the act of a tantrum, rather than a negotiation,” reported Arutz 7.

BDS and the Political Left

Huckabee noted that the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS) actually harms the Palestinians. He pointed out that SodaStream had to relocate due to pressure from BDS, hurting its large staff of Palestinians as well as Israelis.

“When you see industries that employ Palestinians and they make four times what they ever made in their lives under the PA, and they have jobs, outstanding pay, benefits, healthcare, paid vacation – their families are doing better than they’ve ever done. But the BDS movement and the Palestinian government put so much pressure on those industries.”

With regard to the political left, Huckabee commented, “What I’ve observed over the years… speaking as an observer, in many cases the Palestinians have taken positions – and so have people on the Left who really hate Israel, even though they claim they don’t; the BDS is a great example. I would say that they’re in the same league as some of the Palestinians who reject any sense of a peace process.”

Biblical Archaeology

On Wednesday, Huckabee visited the City of David, an archaeological park in Jerusalem near the Old City.

Huckabee noted that archaeological finds prove that biblical stories “really did happen.”

Calling archaeological finds in Israel “remarkable,” he said, “One of the great things that archaeology has done is that in all of the discoveries and excavations throughout Israel, not one time has an archaeological discovery controverted the Biblical record.”

Noting that the City of David is the most powerful way to show the Jewish historical connection to the Land, he said, “This is a real slap in the face to the people who want to claim that Jewish presence in the Holy Land is a myth, or that the Jews really don’t have a connection to this Land.”

Huckabee insisted that Israel should not fear that it would be forced to make painful concessions to the Palestinians under the Trump Administration.

“I think America’s position ought to be very clear: we stand with the Jewish State of Israel because they have a historic indigenous connection to the Land, they have a right to a place on earth, especially given the incredible anti-Semitism that is now rampant across the world,” said Huckabee.

“To give them a sliver of real estate that is one six hundred and fortieth of the land that is controlled by Muslim-led countries is not too much to ask,” he added

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