U.S. Ambassador to Israel Justifies Occupation With Biblical Claims

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has justified Israeli occupation and settlement activities by invoking biblical claims about Jewish historical rights to the land, marking an unusually explicit theological framing of American diplomatic support for Israeli security policies.

In statements made on September 26, Huckabee argued that “the only explanation for Israel’s rise is that God granted this land to the Jewish people,” according to reports from multiple Arabic-language news outlets ^[1][2]. He further stated that “if we bless Israel, we will be blessed. But if we curse Israel, we will be cursed,” framing American support for Israeli policies as carrying spiritual consequences ^[1][2].

The remarks represent a departure from the typically secular language of foreign policy justification. While American political figures have long drawn on religious rhetoric when discussing Israel, Huckabee’s statements as the sitting U.S. ambassador appear to ground diplomatic rationale directly in theological claims rather than conventional security or strategic arguments.

Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate appointed to the ambassadorial post, has previously made sweeping claims about the relationship between Israel and American interests. In June 2026, he stated that “without Israel, there would be no America,” asserting that the United States owes its very existence to Israel’s presence on the land ^[3]. He reiterated this position in July, emphasizing what he described as a deep historical debt ^[2].

The ambassador has also weighed in on broader Middle East diplomacy. On September 24, Huckabee expressed support for potential security agreements between Israel and Saudi Arabia, stating that “Israelis would be very happy to reach a security agreement with Saudi Arabia” and suggesting there is “no hesitation on this matter from Israel” ^[4]. He framed any reluctance as coming from the Saudi side rather than from Israeli leadership.

In an earlier interview with a Hebrew-language Israeli television channel on September 16, Huckabee defended Israel against accusations of genocide and criticized Palestinian groups, arguing that Israel’s provision of humanitarian aid – he cited 700 trucks of food daily entering Gaza – contradicts genocide allegations ^[2].

The theological framing of occupation and settlement policy raises questions about the alignment between American diplomatic messaging and Israeli security rationales. While Israeli governments have historically cited both security concerns and historical/religious claims to justify settlements and occupation policies, American ambassadors have traditionally maintained a distinction between acknowledging Israeli perspectives and endorsing particular theological justifications for territorial control.

Huckabee’s statements come amid ongoing international debate over Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria and the status of occupied territories. The U.S. position on settlements has shifted under different administrations, with the Trump administration departing from the long-standing American position that settlements were obstacles to peace, while the Biden administration returned to that characterization.

The ambassador’s remarks may complicate ongoing diplomatic efforts in the region, particularly regarding potential normalization agreements with Arab states and any future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, where theological claims to land have historically been a source of contention rather than a basis for negotiated settlement.