WASHINGTON — Mike Huckabee, President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to Israel, tried to distance himself Tuesday from his previous controversial statements in regards to the battle between Israel and the Palestinian individuals, pledging on Capitol Hill to “perform the president’s priorities, not mine.”
“I’m not right here to articulate or defend my very own views or insurance policies, however to current myself as one who will respect and symbolize the President whose overwhelming election by the individuals will hopefully give me the distinction of serving as ambassador to the State of Israel,” Huckabee stated in his opening assertion.
Trump nominated Huckabee, a widely known evangelical Christian and vehement supporter of Israel, to tackle the essential put up in Jerusalem days after he gained reelection on a marketing campaign promise to finish the now 17-month conflict in Gaza. However after a quick ceasefire, U.S. and Arab mediators at the moment are struggling to get a ceasefire deal again on observe after Israeli forces resumed the conflict final week with a shock wave of lethal airstrikes.
Whereas Republican senators applauded Huckabee’s staunch assist for America’s closest ally, Israel, Democrats questioned his previous rhetoric about Palestinians deemed “excessive” by even some pro-Israel teams and contradicting longstanding U.S. coverage within the area.
The previous Arkansas governor acknowledged his previous assist for Israel’s proper to annex the West Financial institution and incorporate its Palestinian inhabitants into Israel however stated it could not be his “prerogative” to hold out that coverage.
“If confirmed, will probably be my duty to hold out the president’s priorities, not mine,” Huckabee stated in response to Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley’s questions.
Huckabee, a one-time presidential hopeful, has additionally repeatedly backed referring to the West Financial institution by its biblical identify of “Judea and Samaria,” a time period that right-wing Israeli politicians and activists have to this point fruitlessly pushed the U.S. to simply accept. He didn’t give a transparent reply as to if he nonetheless stands by that when pushed by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.
Most notably, Huckabee has lengthy been against the concept of a two-state answer between Israel and the Palestinian individuals. In an interview final yr, he went even additional, saying that he does not even consider in referring to the Arab descendants of people that lived in British-controlled Palestine as “Palestinians.”
Because the state of affairs in Gaza has deteriorated with the latest collapse of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage launch deal, Israeli officers have begun to speak extra critically about reoccupation of the territory, one thing to which President Joe Biden’s administration had been adamantly opposed.
Trump has made his proposals a couple of potential U.S. takeover of Gaza, which have attracted consideration in addition to sturdy criticism from Arab nations and others. When requested about Trump’s plan, Huckabee denied that the president ever stated he would “power displacement” of Palestinians from Gaza “until it’s for his or her security” and says Palestinians may very well be incentivized to go away.
Even earlier than his listening to began, Democrats and a few pro-Israel teams voiced their opposition to his nomination, saying that his views on the battle are “excessive” and “counter to People’ pursuits.”
“Huckabee’s positions usually are not the phrases of a considerate diplomat — they’re the phrases of a provocateur whose views are far exterior worldwide consensus and opposite to the core bipartisan ideas of American diplomacy,” Rep. Jerry Nadler, a senior Jewish Democrat, stated in a press release Monday. “In one of the unstable and violent areas on the earth right this moment, there isn’t a want for extra extremism, and positively not from the historic ambassador’s put up and behind the highly effective seal of america.”
Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of the pro-Israel group J Road, which has beforehand criticized the Biden and Trump administrations’ dealing with of the conflict, echoed that sentiment, saying that Huckabee’s views “would undermine American pursuits and the administration’s personal said dedication to pursuit of long-term regional peace and safety.”
He added, “Mr. Huckabee’s embrace of annexation, extremist settlers and fanatical Christian Zionism stands in stark distinction to the Jewish, democratic values held by the overwhelming majority of our group — and in stark distinction to Israel’s founding values of justice, equality and peace.”
Trump’s decide for ambassador to Panama additionally testified
One other nominee who testified earlier than the committee on Tuesday is Kevin Cabrera, Trump’s decide to be ambassador to Panama, a rustic that has bristled on the Republican president’s repeated requires the U.S. to retake management of the Panama Canal for nationwide safety causes resulting from potential threats from China. The standing of the canal was one of many high objects on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s agenda when he visited Panama Metropolis on his first journey as America’s high diplomat in February.
“One of many key features of our cooperation is guaranteeing the safety of the Panama Canal, a essential worldwide waterway that facilitates international commerce and financial development,” Cabrera stated in his opening remarks.
He additionally praised choices by the Panamanian authorities to withdraw from China’s Belt and Street Initiative and to evaluate contracts with a China-based firm that’s operating ports at each ends of the canal. The corporate has preliminarily agreed to promote its pursuits within the subsidiaries that run the ports, however the deal will not be but full.
Cabrera additionally confronted repeated calls from Democrats to decide to upholding Panama’s sovereignty and advising the president to do the identical, however Cabrera responded that he would defer to Trump, who has stated “all of the choices are on the desk” on the subject of asserting U.S. management over the Panama Canal.
He added that diplomacy is included in these choices.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the highest Democrat on the Senate Overseas Relations Committee, stated she appreciated a “give attention to diplomacy,” however stated she was nonetheless fearful by the threats of sending navy power or coercing Panama to relinquish management over the canal.
Cabrera responded, “President Trump is our commander and chief and I stand behind him and his insurance policies.”
—Amiri reported from New York.
