US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee conducted a historic tour of the ancient Shiloh archaeological site Wednesday morning. Following the tour, the ambassador held an official meeting with the Yesha Council, which is the umbrella group representing Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria. The tour and meeting were initiated by Israel Ganz, who serves as both the chairman of the Yesha Council and the head of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council.
This marks the first time in history that an American ambassador has held an official meeting in Judea and Samaria with the representative forum of Israeli authorities beyond the Green Line, which demarcates the area captured by Israel from Jordan during the Six-Day War. It is also the first time that an official US representative has made an official and public visit to a site that expresses the historical message of Jewish rights to the Judea and Samaria regions.
The Tabernacle stood in Shiloh for hundreds of years after the Israelites entered the land. Huckabee began his tour by meeting with five red heifers being raised at the site, in accordance with the biblical commandment and in preparation for the future building of the Temple.
It should be noted that for decades, the official policy of the US State Department under all administrations had been strong opposition to any visit by American ambassadors to Judea and Samaria, as visits to the region were interpreted as recognition of Israeli ties to the area. Even Donald Trump's previous ambassador to Israel during his first term, David Friedman, visited Judea and Samaria only in rare cases and usually as a private citizen. Huckabee, on the other hand, came to Shiloh officially as a representative of the US government.
The ambassador said, "I cannot imagine coming to Israel and not seeing Shiloh, because it is one of the most important biblical sites that validates the Jewish connection to the homeland, going back 3500 years. So it's an important part of the biblical record, an important part of the historical record, and an extraordinary place where so much of the history of the Jewish people really was formed."
Asked what the impression of the site was, he answered, "Well, it's it's a great honor to be here. It's a thrill to come to these biblical sites and to see where it was that God did important, great and miraculous things. So to stand on the very ground where Hannah prayed and God gave her a son. It's a beautiful thing, although I will say I did not pray today for a son, because at my wife's and I age my age, it would be like Abraham and Sarah."
Ganz, who accompanied him, said, "This is a historic visit that reflects the shared values of Israel and the US of faith, prayer, and historical justice. We can stand because we stand together. Welcome home to a place where prayers are heard. Together we will make history."
The visit also served as a personal full circle for Huckabee, who had previously visited Judea and Samaria as a private citizen and now did so as the US ambassador. Huckabee held an official meeting with the heads of the Yesha Council as mentioned. The council heads introduced themselves to Huckabee and invited him to visit the authorities they represent.
Eliana Passentin, the International Desk Director at Binyamin Regional Council, said, "Ambassador Huckabee is a true friend of Israel. It was an honor and a privilege to stand together at the site of the Tabernacle in Shiloh – the birthplace of prayer. There, we offered a heartfelt prayer of thanksgiving, and we prayed for Ambassador Huckabee's continued success, for the well-being of Israel and America, and for the swift release of the hostages."
