(NewsNation) — Israel ambassador nominee Mike Huckabee criticized the U.S. on Friday for pressuring Israel instead of holding Hamas accountable.
“We have seven American hostages being held by Hamas, yet the U.S. is putting more pressure on Israel than on the Iranian-funded terrorists who butchered Jewish civilians. I can’t comprehend,” Huckabee said on NewsNation’s “On Balance.” He added that protests supporting Hamas make “no sense.”
President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he will nominate the former Arkansas governor to serve as ambassador to Israel, a major diplomatic role that will take on added importance amid the heightened tensions in the Middle East.
Huckabee told NewsNation’s Leland Vittert his number one priority, if confirmed by the Senate, is securing the hostages release.
“Those hostages must be released and accounted for, and then, and only then should Israel or anyone else even entertain (the idea of a cease-fire),” Huckabee said.
On “Morning in America,” Huckabee said the job is all about carrying out responsibilities assigned by the president.
“An ambassador doesn’t get to make policy. He’s there to represent the policy,” Huckabee said. “An ambassador serves at the pleasure of the president.”
Huckabee’s nomination comes during the Israel-Hamas war. Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed 44,056 people, according to local health authorities, who say more than half of those killed were women and children. Parts of Gaza have been decimated and more than 2.3 million people driven from their homes. The war began Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 others hostage.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.