U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has again denounced Israelis who carry out hate crimes in Yehudah and Shomron as “terrorists,” warning that their actions are inflicting serious damage on Israel’s reputation in the United States, including among Republicans and younger Americans.
Speaking in an interview with Kan Reshet Bet’s “This Morning” program, Huckabee said such incidents are harming the way Israel is viewed both as a country and as a people. He described the situation as particularly unfortunate at a time when Israel needs as many friends as possible and can ill afford to create additional enemies.
Huckabee’s comments came after Israelis who allegedly set fire to a mosque in the village of Bazariya in Shomron spray-painted a message on the building reading, “Huckabee, regards from the terrorists.”
The ambassador said he was not personally intimidated by the graffiti but stressed that he regards the broader phenomenon as extremely serious. He warned that the damage being done to Israel’s image in the United States is substantial and extends even into Republican circles.
Huckabee also expressed concern about the effect such incidents could have on younger Americans who hear reports about violence carried out by Israelis against Palestinians.
The ambassador has previously used similarly forceful language to condemn such violence. Last month, he referred to Jewish rioters who surrounded residents in the village of Qusra as “Israeli terrorists.”
Turning to the ongoing confrontation with Iran, Huckabee said the Islamic Republic has been left in an extraordinarily weakened military and economic position as a result of actions taken by President Donald Trump.
Huckabee also rejected suggestions that Trump has pushed the Iranian nuclear threat aside while concentrating primarily on the Strait of Hormuz. He said the president has never indicated that he intends to ignore Iran’s decades-long threats against the United States.
The ambassador noted that Iran has spent 47-and-a-half years threatening “death to America,” arguing that such a threat is something the United States simply cannot afford to disregard.
{Matzav.com}
