Huckabee: US never defended Israel at America’s expense

Ambassador Mike Huckabee pushed back against claims that Netanyahu pressured Trump into entering the Iran war.

By World Israel News Staff

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said that the United States has never acted solely out of a desire to help Israel, arguing instead that Washington’s moves that benefit the Jewish state are primarily intended to strengthen American security.

Huckabee’s comments came as an apparent response to recent claims by Vice President JD Vance that U.S. foreign policy could not be “subservient” to Israel.

Speaking to Hebrew-language outlet Ynet in an interview published Thursday, Huckabee — who has long been vocal in his advocacy for the Jewish state and is widely viewed as one of the most prominent pro-Israel voices in the Trump administration — pushed back against the notion that Washington acts primarily in the interests of Jerusalem.

“America has never defended Israel,” Huckabee told Ynet. “Not one time since 1948 has America ever put boots on the ground for Israel.”

Huckabee elaborated by saying that Israel and the United States share common enemies and that actions taken against those adversaries can therefore serve American security interests as well.

“When we are partnering against Iran, we’re not defending Israel, we’re defending the United States,” Huckabee said. “Israel is maybe the appetizer, but we’re the entree.”

Huckabee also pushed back against claims that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressured or deceived President Donald Trump into entering the war against Iran.

Several media outlets critical of Israel, including The New York Times, have published reports claiming that Netanyahu exerted significant pressure on Trump to intervene militarily against Iran. Some reports also questioned whether information presented to Trump about the prospects for an easy victory was accurate.

Huckabee rejected that characterization, insisting that Trump made the decision independently.

“I disagree with the idea that [Trump] was nudged in or led or pushed or deceived. That simply didn’t happen,” Huckabee said.

“Nobody pushed President Trump into anything. Nobody misled him into anything,” he continued.

Huckabee stressed that Trump decided to engage in Operation Fury “from his own volition.”