US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has sparked controversy after declaring that the United States owes its existence to Israel, a claim that stands in stark contrast to recent remarks by President Donald Trump, who said the opposite.
Speaking in Israel, Huckabee said: "Without the Jewish foundation, there would not be an America" and added that Americans "owe our very existence to what happened in this land".
The comments came as Trump has publicly criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and emphasised the extent of US support for Israel.
Sharp contrast
Huckabee's assertions directly contradict President Donald Trump, who recently said total credit for Israel's ongoing survival.
Speaking at the annual G7 summit in France, Trump delivered a sharp public dressing-down of Israeli leadership.
"Without the US, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel because no other President was willing to do what I did," Trump said.
The internal tension comes as Trump attempts to finalise a landmark peace deal with Tehran ahead of a scheduled Friday signing ceremony in Geneva.
Trump has openly lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling his judgment "crazy" and criticising recent Israeli military escalation in Lebanon that risk sabotaging the Washington-Tehran negotiations.
"You don't have to knock down an apartment house every time you're looking for somebody," Trump warned.
Envoy's loyalty questioned
Confirmed in April 2025, Huckabee, a Baptist minister and former Arkansas governor, has consistently faced scrutiny for prioritising Israeli interests over American ones.
During a prominent conservative interview with journalist Tucker Carlson, the ambassador repeatedly parroted right-wing Israeli talking points, using the terms "Judea and Samaria" to describe the occupied West Bank and affirming Israel's expansionist territorial aims.
The ambassador even took a direct swipe at the armed forces of his own country to defend Israeli military aggression.
When pressed on civilian casualties, Huckabee claimed that the Israeli military is more humane and careful about protecting civilian life than the US military was during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Furthermore, Huckabee defended his meetings with Jonathan Pollard, an American intelligence analyst convicted of spying against the United States on behalf of Israel.
