In a significant and potentially historic shift in US foreign policy, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for the position of ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, openly discussed the possibility of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) annexation in an interview with Army Radio (Galei Tzahal) signaling a stark pro-Israel stance from the incoming administration. Huckabee, known for his passionate support of Israel and close ties to the country, affirmed that annexation "of course" remains a possibility, though he carefully noted that final policy decisions are made by the president, not by him directly.

“Well, as you know, I am a frequent visitor to Judea and Samaria,” Huckabee said, using the Biblical terms for the West Bank favored by many supporters of Israel, especially those with right-leaning ideologies. “I believe wholeheartedly that the people of Israel deserve a secure and safe homeland. Anything I can contribute to bolster that security and deepen that bond will be an honor for me,” he emphasized, underscoring his commitment to Israel’s stability and safety.

"There is no such thing as the West Bank - it's Judea and Samaria. There is no such thing as settlements - they're communities, they're neighborhoods, they're cities. There is no such thing as an occupation."

-Mike Huckabee, Incoming US Ambassador to Israel pic.twitter.com/YmFX8WSveS

— Eli Kowaz - איליי קואז (@elikowaz) November 12, 2024

Pressed further by Army Radio anchors on whether West Bank annexation would truly be on the table during Trump's second term, Huckabee doubled down on his earlier statement. “Well, of course. Look, I won’t be the one to make policy — that’s the president’s role. But if we’re looking at the record, President Trump’s first term was historic for Israel: relocating the US embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing the Golan Heights, affirming Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. No American president has ever done more, and I fully expect this trajectory to continue,” Huckabee said, making clear his belief that Trump would likely deepen US support for Israel’s territorial sovereignty.

Huckabee’s remarks further suggest that Trump’s second term may see a continuation, or even expansion, of policies aimed at strengthening Israel’s claims over its ancestral land, some of which is in dispute after a decades-long campaign by Arabs, aided by the then Soviet Union to insert a nation called Palestine into history books. Today, the "Palestinian" people are a fact that Israel must acknowledge, however to what end remains to be seen. The nominee was also asked about the possibility of rebuilding Israeli communities in Gaza, a highly sensitive topic.

He is more of a Zionist than many of the left wing Jews - and it goes far beyond Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria - the man has said there is no such thing as a Palestinian nation.

Picking Huckabee shows a significant shift in US policy. https://t.co/hhRCANEdeQ

— Jay Engelmayer (@jengelmayer) November 12, 2024

Huckabee was careful in his response, saying, “Well, I haven’t had time to fully process that,” and reiterating his stance that while his role would be to enforce and support administration policy, he is not the policy-maker himself. Huckabee does not like the term "settlement" which is a literal translaton of the Hebrew word "Ishuv" but in English, connotes a negative element. He has stated in the past he prefers to use "communities, neighborhoods or cities" instead. The former Arkansas Governor also refuses to use the term West Bank, preferring to use the Biblical names of Judea and Samaria to describe the area that Jordan annexed after Israel's war of independence.

Reflecting on his nomination, Huckabee conveyed deep personal appreciation and honor at being chosen by President Trump for such a consequential role. “This is an extraordinary opportunity to represent my country in a land I’ve cherished since my first visit there in July 1973,” Huckabee said. “Having led tens of thousands of Americans to Israel on dozens of trips, it’s an incredible joy to now serve in an official capacity.”

שגריר ארה"ב בישראל הנכנס מייק האקבי: "מצפה שטראמפ ימשיך לסייע להבטחת הריבונות הישראלית".
את הדברים הוא אמר בריאיון לתכנית הבוקר של גלי צה"ל

— ישראל היום (@IsraelHayomHeb) November 13, 2024

At 69, Huckabee brings decades of experience as a staunch advocate for Israel, with a unique standing as one of the Christian evangelical community's most fervent supporters of the Jewish state. He becomes the first non-Jew to be nominated for the ambassador role since 2008. Huckabee has been outspoken in asserting Israel’s historical claim to the West Bank, famously comparing it to America’s foundational claim over Manhattan. In 2018, he even laid the cornerstone of a new housing project in the settlement of Efrat, visibly demonstrating his commitment to the expansion and support of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.

Huckabee’s potential appointment and his statements to Army Radio underscore the Trump administration's intent to maintain, if not heighten, a pro-Israel agenda. For Israel, particularly its supporters and right-leaning populace, Huckabee’s nomination signals not only a strong alliance but possibly an era of unprecedented US support for Israel's territorial claims and sovereignty.