Huckabee Tells Jews to Take Antisemitism “As a Badge of Honor”
By: Sara Lehmann
There is a famous Yiddish saying, “Der dreydl dreyt zikh”, which literally translates into “the dreidel turns”. It is an age-old and apt adage, especially now, for the alternating rise and fall of people’s fortunes.
There can be no better illustration of this than President Trump’s triumph over his political nemeses in Washington, the media, corporations, universities and pretty much everywhere else. The victory of common sense in the 2024 U.S. elections ushered in a new guard to fill positions on local, state and national levels.
Perhaps one of the most consequential new nominations is that of former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee as the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Israel. As a longtime and vocal supporter of the State of Israel, Huckabee is an obvious pick for Trump. He is a fierce advocate for Israel’s sovereignty and security, championing the historic right of Jerusalem as its eternal capital and the right of Jews to live in all parts of their Jewish ancestral homeland.
Huckabee is a frequent visitor to the Jewish state, having travelled there close to 100 times, starting as a teenager in 1973. He has led dozens of delegations to Israel and has participated in many missions to Israel with organizations, notably the Israel Heritage Foundation (IHF).
IHF hosted a dinner in Huckabee’s honor this past Sunday in recognition of the governor’s support for the Jewish state and in anticipation of future backing in his role of ambassador. Held at the UN Plaza Grill, more than 80 participants came to congratulate Huckabee, including Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
IHF Executive Director Rabbi David Katz lauded Huckabee’s “passion and love for Israel” and related that on his last trip to Israel the two new Chief Rabbis of Israel and Members of Knesset expressed the wish to meet with the new ambassador.
Rabbi Katz underscored the importance of Huckabee’s efforts at achieving peace in the region. “If there is peace in Israel, then there is peace in the world.”
Dr. Joseph Frager, IHF Executive Vice President, echoed Rabbi Katz’s sentiments and added the need for Israel to defeat its enemies. “We have to totally defeat Hamas and Iran,” Dr. Frager said. “That is essential for our existence.”
Other speakers, including IHF Honorary Chairman Jonathan Burkan and IHF Executive President Dr. Stephen Soloway, praised Trump for his pick. There were calls for regime change in Iran by author Kenneth Abramowitz and Harley Lippman, CEO of Genesis10. Before introducing Huckabee, Lippman stressed how the need to “cut off the head of the snake [Iran]” is in America’s own interest since Iran “wants to destroy America.”
While speaking of Huckabee, Lippman relayed the story of how Huckabee landed in Israel in 2014, right after the three Jewish boys in Israel were kidnapped. Huckabee went straight from the airport to visit the parents of these children. “This tells you what kind of mensch this person is,” Lippman said.
Huckabee’s own words at the dinner were his biggest endorsement. He called his nomination as Ambassador to Israel “the greatest thrill and joy and culmination of an entire lifetime of having a love for the land of Israel and for the Jewish people.” He said that when his wife Janet and he relocate to Israel, it will be “not for a tour but for a task.”
While describing his many trips to Israel, Huckabee spoke of the transformation of the “sleepy, dusty, barren desert” of 1973 Israel to “a land where the desert bloomed.”
Huckabee criticizes those Americans who are unaware of what Israel exports to the world. “Many Americans are unaware of the gifts Israel gives to us in terms of technology, medical advancement, and agricultural capacity – things that we take for granted and probably arrogantly we think we created. The truth is we took them from our ally Israel. And our lives are better because Israel’s life is better.”
He also points to how people around the world do not credit Israel for “protecting the rights of all faiths to go to holy sites in Israel.” This includes not only Jewish and Christian sites, but Muslim sites as well. “Many people in the world have never been told that the Israeli government protects Muslims holy sites as vigorously as they protect the sites that Jewish and Christian people embrace.”
As to regime change in Iran, Huckabee is firmly convinced of its necessity, “whether it comes at the hands of the Iranian people or from forces perhaps that are gathered from all throughout the Middle East.” He believes it will lead to the recognition that “Israel is no threat to Saudia Arabia or the UAE or to any Middle Eastern country. It simply wants to be able to live with peace, security for its families and its future, and to be left alone.”
Huckabee is a man of faith and nowhere do his Judeo-Christian beliefs stand out more than in his stance on the Jewish people and their homeland. He attributes Israel’s inexplicable victories on the battlefield, since 1948, to divine intervention.
“They didn’t win them because they had superior military, artillery capacity or air power,” he said. “They won them because they fought as if they knew that if they lost, they didn’t lose some real estate. They lost their lives, their families, their culture, their country and the land that Gd had given them 3500 years ago. Because they did, I am convinced that Gd Himself intervened on behalf of His people in His land.”
Huckabee’s views on the “irrational, insane antisemitism” are also shaped by his religious outlook. He advised Jews to “take it as a badge of honor” because it reflects a hate that people have for Gd who established “a law…establishing clear standards of what’s right, what’s wrong, what’s moral, what’s immoral.” Consequently, these same people “hate those who follow that code.”
Huckabee shared his simple conviction with those at the IHF dinner. “The Gd you love and serve intimidates, frightens, and frankly completely challenges those who are their own god. We believe that we put our knee to Gd. We didn’t create Him; He created us. And we are obligated to follow His law rather than to invite Him to follow some law that we have foolishly created for ourselves.”
