Former governor of Arkansas is a prominent religious conservative; “He loves Israel and the people of Israel, and the people of Israel love him,” Trump wrote.
President-elect Donald Trump is nominating former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel.
“He loves Israel and the people of Israel, and just as much, the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement Tuesday, adding that “Mike will work tirelessly to bring peace to the Middle East!”
Huckabee is a prominent religious conservative and his selection will likely be celebrated by that bloc, which was instrumental in propelling Trump to the White House in both 2016 and last week’s election.
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If confirmed by the Senate, Huckabee would take office amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and growing hostility between Israel and Iran. Trump has said he hopes to bring an end to the conflicts.
Huckabee is also the father of Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former Trump White House press secretary and current governor of Arkansas.
The announcement comes as Trump is scheduled to meet with House Republicans on Wednesday, as the party awaits the prospect of achieving a “trifecta” in Washington with control of both chambers of Congress and the White House.
