Mike Huckabee, President Donald Trump's nominee for US ambassador to Israel, on Tuesday skirted tough questions on his personal position on Palestinian rights, the annexation of the West Bank and mass displacement from Gaza during his Senate confirmation hearing.
His often repeated response was that it was not his own policies that would be implemented in the Middle East but those of the President. The former governor of Arkansas is an outspoken proponent of Israel and has been described as a Christian Zionist.
Asked whether he had previously supported Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Mr Huckabee confirmed he had, but said “it would not be my prerogative to make that the policy of the President”.
“I believe that there always has to be the law being followed and there has to be clarity,” he said, when questioned over whether Israeli settlers displacing Palestinians from their homes was wrong. “If we're talking about stealing the land, taking it away from them, their land, yeah, that's a problem. If you're talking about purchasing the land, that's a legitimate transaction.”
Mr Huckabee was interrupted several times by protesters. During one disruption, a demonstrator blew a shofar – an ancient horn used for Jewish ritual purposes – and shouted, “I am a proud American Jew” and “let Palestinians live”. Later, a protester shouted that Mr Huckabee was misusing Christianity to justify ethnic cleansing, then another yelled that Israel and the US have “desecrated the holy land”.
Mr Huckabee made frequent biblical references during his appearance before the committee, saying the US has a “spiritual” association with Israel.
“The spiritual connections between … many churches in America, Jewish congregations, to the state of Israel, is because we ultimately are people of the book. We believe the Bible and therefore that connection is not geopolitical. It is also spiritual.”
While Mr Huckabee received a series of easy-to-answer questions from Republicans on the committee, Democrats pressed him on other issues, including Mr Trump's proposal for a US takeover of Gaza.
Mr Trump had originally said the project – whose stated goal would be Gaza's transformation into the “Riviera of the Middle East” – would require the displacement of the enclave's two million-plus residents, but in a later U-turn said “nobody will expel Palestinians”.
Mr Huckabee denied Mr Trump would forcefully displace Palestinians. “That has not been his statement nor his policy, but rather to make sure that there is a safe and secure place for people to live during the process of cleaning out what is a disastrous mess,” he said “There shouldn't be forced displacement unless it's for their own security.”
He added that “Hamas will have no future in Gaza – it can't”.
Long publicly opposed to a two-state solution, Mr Huckabee sidestepped direct questions on the issue, predicating the possibility of a future Palestinian state on a “cultural shift” against anti-Semitism and an admission that Israel has a right to exist.
During his testimony, he also praised the Abraham Accords, which established diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain, and later Sudan and Morocco. He said Mr Trump's “first term success” with the accords gives “real hope” for what might follow.
“The President is in an incredible position to build upon what he did in his first term, expanding the Abraham Accords to include not only the Saudis, but other Gulf state nations,” he told the hearing. “There's no reason that there's not a build upon the Abraham Accords. They were historic, significant in so many ways.”
He added that a common enemy in the Middle East is Iran. “I'm grateful to serve a president who recognises that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and that it is better to bankrupt them than it is to bomb them,” he said, referring to Mr Trump's maximum pressure campaign aimed at hamstringing Tehran's activities in the region through heavy sanctions.
Mr Huckabee's nomination still needs to be approved by the Foreign Relations Committee. If approved, it it will go to the full Senate for a vote.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
FIRST TEST SCORES
England 458
South Africa 361 & 119 (36.4 overs)
England won by 211 runs and lead series 1-0
Player of the match: Moeen Ali (England)
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Sonchiriya
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
Rating: 3/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
The biog
Favourite book: Men are from Mars Women are from Venus
Favourite travel destination: Ooty, a hill station in South India
Hobbies: Cooking. Biryani, pepper crab are her signature dishes
Favourite place in UAE: Marjan Island
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
