"If I had a dime every time I was asked why Evangelicals support Israel, Elon Musk would be borrowing money from me.” That’s how Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and now the newly appointed United States ambassador to Israel, described the frequency with which he’s been asked one particular question: Why do Evangelical Christians care so much about Israel?
The question may sound naïve to some Israelis, especially in 2025, after years of American Evangelical advocacy for Israel, billions in Christian philanthropy, and the central role this community played in relocating the US embassy to Jerusalem and supporting the Abraham Accords. But the question still lingers – often behind closed doors, or whispered in Jewish philanthropic boardrooms: What’s in it for them?
Huckabee’s answer is clear. “You can be Jewish and have nothing whatsoever to do with Christianity,” he said during the premiere episode of our new podcast miniseries Good for the Jews, which I co-host with Yael Eckstein, President and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ). “But I cannot be a Christian without fully embracing the Old Testament and the Jewish story. It’s not optional – it’s foundational.”
That idea – that Christian identity is incomplete without the Jewish people and the Land of Israel – is a core principle for many Evangelical Christians around the world. But it’s rare to hear it expressed with such clarity by a diplomat who will now officially represent the United States government in Israel.
For Huckabee, this new role is a diplomatic exchange, which is deeply personal.
“I’ve walked with the Fellowship through soup kitchens, into homes of elderly Holocaust survivors, and into bomb shelters,” he said. “Since October 7, I’ve watched how the Fellowship has stepped up to support tens of thousands of dislocated families, first responders, and soldiers’ families. It’s not just charity – it’s solidarity.”
Huckabee has visited Israel approximately 100 times over the past five decades. “My first trip was in July 1973, just before the Yom Kippur War,” he recalled. “I’ve seen this country evolve, grow, and face unthinkable adversity with resilience.”
When asked to name a biblical verse that encapsulates his connection to the land and people of Israel, he immediately cited Genesis 50:20 – Joseph’s words to his brothers: “What you intended for harm, God used for good.”
“That verse is everything,” Huckabee said. “It captures the Jewish story, but also the human story – that even in the darkest moments, God’s hand can bring redemption.”
A Diplomat Rooted in Scripture
Huckabee’s diplomatic vision is explicitly shaped by his faith, though he’s quick to emphasize the boundary between personal belief and political representation.
“My role isn’t to set up a church or preach sermons,” he said. “As ambassador, I’m here to represent the policies of the president and the interests of the United States. But to pretend that I don’t have a worldview shaped by my faith would be dishonest. Of course it informs who I am – and how I see Israel.”
He believes deeply in the connection between Western civilization and the Judeo-Christian tradition – which, as he puts it, began in Israel.
“Our entire ethical system, our understanding of justice, of individual dignity, of human rights – it all begins with a people who heard God’s voice at Sinai,” Huckabee said. “Israel isn’t just the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people. It’s the spiritual root system for the entire Western world.”
This worldview also shapes his approach to regional diplomacy.
“I believe we’ll see movement toward peace in the Middle East of biblical proportions,” he said, referring to the current term of President Donald Trump. “Saudi Arabia is certainly on the horizon. But I also hope the Iranian people will one day reclaim their country and their culture.”
His preferred strategy for Iran is not military. “Trump doesn’t want to bomb Iran – he wants to bankrupt it,” Huckabee said. “Cut off the money going to Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. That’s how you topple a regime – not with bombs, but with economic pressure.”
Settlements, History, and ‘The Covenant’
Huckabee doesn’t shy away from addressing controversial issues, especially when it comes to Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, known as the West Bank.
“I prefer to use the biblical terms: Judea and Samaria,” he said. “To me, this isn’t a geopolitical abstraction. These are the lands of Abraham, of David, of the tabernacle at Shiloh. I believe in the covenant. It’s not a theory – it’s a promise.”
During one of his previous visits to a community in the Binyamin region, Huckabee reportedly joked that he’d consider buying a house there. The joke spread like wildfire.
“My wife called me the next day – she saw it in the Associated Press and asked, ‘Have you lost your mind?’” he said, laughing. “I thought, for a people known for having such a great sense of humor, Israelis would get the joke.”
He never bought the house. “But I will say this – they’re some of the most beautiful communities I’ve ever seen. These aren’t tents or makeshift shelters. These are vibrant neighborhoods, with schools, playgrounds, synagogues, and even wineries. It’s not a settlement – it’s a home.”
The sanctity of life – even in death
The conversation shifted to the uniquely Jewish practice of recovering the remains of soldiers and hostages – even at great cost.
“To many in the secular world, this doesn’t make sense,” Huckabee said. “Why would you exchange prisoners for a body? But if you believe that every life is sacred – and even death carries meaning – then it becomes clear. This is not a military tactic – it’s a moral imperative.”
This, Huckabee argued, is part of what distinguishes Israel – and why Evangelical Christians feel so connected to the Jewish state.
“Judaism teaches the sanctity of life. And that value – that no one is forgotten, that every soul matters – is central to Christianity as well. You don’t see this reverence for the dead in extremist ideologies. This is something unique to the Judeo-Christian ethic.”
One of the more enduring suspicions in some Jewish communities is the idea that Evangelical support for Israel is eschatologically focused on hastening the end times. Huckabee addressed that concern directly.
“I’ve heard it,” he said. “‘These Evangelicals just want to bring the Messiah or bring about Armageddon.’ Honestly, I find that a bit amusing.”
He continued: “Most of us don’t sit around thinking about eschatology. We’re not obsessed with the end. We’re focused on the beginning – Abraham, Moses, the covenant. We honor the Jewish people not because of what might happen in the future, but because of what has already happened in the past.”
Eckstein, who has led the IFCJ since the passing of her father Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein in 2019, agreed. “I’ve worked with more than 100,000 Evangelical donors, and I’ve never once heard anyone say they support Israel to bring about the end times. What I hear is gratitude – for the Bible, for the Jewish people, for the example that Israel sets.”
A new kind of ambassador
Huckabee is the first Evangelical Christian – and arguably the first religious leader – to serve as US ambassador to Israel. In a region sensitive to religious rhetoric, it’s a bold appointment.
“I wondered how I’d be received,” he admitted. “But the support – even from Orthodox Jews, even in Israel – has been overwhelming. Many have told me, ‘If you were Jewish, your support for Israel would be taken for granted. But because you’re not Jewish, it carries a different kind of credibility.”
For Huckabee, the assignment is nothing less than divine.
“This is a calling,” he said. “I believe God has been preparing me for this role my entire life. And my prayer is that during my time here, we’ll see the children of Jews, Muslims, and Christians walk the streets of Jerusalem in peace; that education will replace indoctrination; that mutual respect will replace hatred.”
He paused before adding one last hope: “That people around the world will finally understand – not just intellectually, but spiritually – why Israel matters.”
As he closed, he added with a smile: “And no, I won’t be buying a house in Eli. I’ll be staying at the ambassador’s residence [in Jerusalem]. At least for now.”
