“If it were not for Israel, America would not exist.” How did the Washington ambassador in Tel Aviv spark the anger of the Americans? | news

The statements of the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, sparked a storm of criticism in American political and media circles, after he considered that the United States “would not exist without Israel,” in an interview that brought back to the forefront the controversy over Israel’s influence within American decision-making circles and the limits of the role that the American ambassador in Tel Aviv is supposed to play.

Huckabee’s statements came during the opening of the “International Conference on Israeli Heritage” in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, where he said that his role “is not only limited to representing the United States in Israel, but also includes representing the importance of Israel to Americans.”

Addressing Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, he added: “This is your legacy, without a doubt, but, Your Excellency Minister, this is also the legacy of the United States. Without Israel, and without the Jewish foundation, America would not exist.”

Huckabee’s statements gain special importance because they came just hours after statements by US President Donald Trump in which he asserted that Israel “would not exist without the United States,” which led many to consider the US ambassador’s speech as an implicit response to his president, and ignited a wave of controversy and criticism within the United States.

Huckabee’s statements did not go unnoticed, as they sparked a wide wave of criticism in American political and media circles and on social media platforms, where critics considered them evidence of the US ambassador’s bias towards Israel at the expense of American interests, while others demanded his dismissal or resignation from his position.

Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was one of the first critics on the

In a sharp criticism, political commentator Anna Kasparian ridiculed Huckabee’s statements, saying that the United States had not given Israel the credit he claimed, calling for the withdrawal of American financial and military support from it to determine the extent of its ability to continue without American aid.

As for retired American officer and military analyst Daniel Davis, he called on Huckabee to resign from his position, stressing that the American ambassador “does not put American interests first,” and that his primary mission is to represent the United States to another country, not to promote it or favor it over his country.

In the same context, the American political activist and former national delegate for the Republican Party in Texas, Trisha Hope, called for Huckabee’s immediate removal from his position, considering that his statements raise doubts about his eligibility to continue representing the United States in Israel.

She said: “I call on the President of the United States to remove this man from his position as ambassador to Israel immediately, and I believe this means that he is no longer qualified to be our ambassador there.”

The criticism extended to prominent media and political figures, as investigative journalist Max Blumenthal described Huckabee as a “temporarily appointed Israeli ambassador,” in reference to what he considered complete bias toward Israel, while American journalist Clayton Morris mocked the statements, saying that Huckabee was speaking as if the founding fathers of the United States owed Israel the establishment of their state.

For his part, political analyst Rich Paris questioned the veracity of the statement, considering that if proven true, it would constitute an additional reason to demand the dismissal of the American ambassador.

American writer and political commentator Oron McIntyre also joined the list of critics of Huckabee’s statements, expressing his astonishment at what was attributed to him.

He said: “Did he really say this? Frankly, I did not find any report confirming this, but if the statement is true, it will be an additional and serious justification to demand his dismissal.” He added that Huckabee’s performance in his previous interview with journalist Tucker Carlson was sufficient, in his opinion, to raise questions about his continuation in his position.

Some critics went further, as political commentator Jackson Henkel described Huckabee as an “Israeli agent,” while activist Carolina saw that the American ambassador seemed to be officially correcting President Trump in favor of Israel.

Activist Andy Baxterlin also criticized the nature of the position itself, considering that the position of US ambassador to Israel needs a comprehensive review if it leads to such controversial positions.

In turn, retired Colonel Lawrence Sellin said that one of the tasks of the American ambassador is to represent the United States, not to promote Israel within America, considering that Huckabee has exceeded the limits of his position and deserves to be removed.

As for former US Chiefs of Staff officer David Payne, he believed that Huckabee’s statements ignore the fact that the United States was founded about 172 years before the establishment of modern Israel, considering that the US ambassador revealed a clear bias towards Israel.

American writer Assal Rad concluded the wave of criticism with a brief historical reminder, writing: “America existed for 172 years before Israel,” referring to what she considered a clear contradiction in Huckabee’s statements.