I have known Mike Huckabee for more than 20 years: as Governor of Arkansas, as a presidential candidate, as a broadcaster, and most importantly - as one of the most consistent and courageous friends the State of Israel has ever had in American public life.
The flood of critical articles in Israeli media about his meetings with Pollard, Smotrich, and Ben-Gvir, alongside criticism of his pre-appointment television commercials, seem to me not only unfair but completely wrong.
Huckabee is performing his duties with distinction at a time when Israel faces existential threats on seven fronts. Instead of criticizing him, the Israeli media and public should be "celebrating" the fact that the United States finally has an ambassador who understands Israel's situation from the depths of his heart and defends it without any apology or reservation.
Yes, the ambassador hosted Pollard at the embassy residence in July. Yes, the meeting was not pre-cleared with Washington and did not appear on the official schedule. And yes, many in the American national security establishment still view Pollard as a problematic figure. But anyone who has followed his career knows that Huckabee publicly supported Pollard's release long before it became politically "convenient," and when he met as ambassador with the man whose release he had so championed, it was an act of simple human decency.
The same logic applies to his meetings with the ministers. When five Western countries imposed personal sanctions on two democratically elected officials, Huckabee did not join the chorus of condemnation but instead invited them to discussions described as cordial - which even bore fruit on various issues, from coordinating security in settlements in Judea and Samaria to planning for emergency situations.
A Model of Integrity
The spectacle of America's ambassador praising a sleep supplement on television caused eye-rolling from Tel Aviv to Washington, but the facts are simple: the commercials were filmed before his appointment, contain no reference to his current title, and fully comply with the disclosure requirements of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics.
More importantly, they reveal something essential about the man: Mike Huckabee has never pretended to be a typical establishment figure. He is a former governor of a small state who supported his family through broadcasting and lectures, and he makes no apology for it.
In an era when many diplomats enrich themselves through shadowy consulting contracts or paid lectures from hostile governments, Huckabee's transparent contract with the dietary supplement company is a model of integrity. And perhaps most importantly: Huckabee has restored a sense of trust. When he says the U.S. "has Israel's back" - Israelis believe him, because they have watched him prove it for decades.
As an international lawyer who has spent 40 years traveling between Jerusalem and Washington, I have seen many ambassadors. Some were brilliant operators, others were close friends of Israel, but almost none combined deep policy expertise with genuine emotional commitment. Mike Huckabee does, and the Israeli press owes him and the alliance he represents an apology, as well as a resounding "thank you."
This is the time to be grateful that the man in the embassy is someone who prays daily for the peace of Jerusalem, refuses to equate victim with aggressor, and understands that the U.S.-Israel alliance is not a "favor" America grants Israel - it is a strategic and moral imperative for both nations.
Attorney Marc Zell is the Chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel and Vice President & General Counsel of Republicans Overseas Inc.
