Huckabee Backs Netanyahu’s Refusal to Bring Arab Factions Into Israeli Government

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s opposition to including Arab political parties in Israel’s next governing coalition, arguing that lawmakers who refuse to condemn Hamas and openly criticize the Jewish state should not be entrusted with positions of national leadership.

Speaking with Newsmax host Tom Basile on Saturday, Huckabee described Netanyahu’s refusal to form a government with the predominantly Arab Joint List and Ra’am factions as “a necessary course,” citing the positions taken by some Arab representatives in the Knesset.

The ambassador pointed to the 19 Arab lawmakers elected to Israel’s parliament, saying that some “have been outspoken in their condemnation of the very nation they want to be a part of,” raising serious questions about their suitability for participation in the governing coalition.

Huckabee also criticized what he characterized as the failure of certain Arab legislators to unequivocally denounce the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre. He argued that “it would be troubling for anyone to include them if that’s going to be their position in a government.”

According to Huckabee, seeking a role in governing Israel while refusing to condemn the Hamas atrocities was “completely reckless,” particularly for politicians seeking to “help lead the country.”

The ambassador also predicted that some Israeli politicians would abandon their campaign promises about refusing to join coalitions with particular rivals once negotiations over forming a government begin.

“Throw all that out the window,” he said. “Politicians say that during the election season, but if it comes down to being in the government or having nothing but a trip home and spend the next four years wondering what happened, many of them will, let’s just say, they’ll renege on that ‘absolutely, will not sit with’ promise.”

Turning to last week’s Israeli elections, Huckabee described the performance of Netanyahu and his right-wing allies as “the big surprise” of election night, noting that they had finished ahead of the opposition bloc led by Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot.

He also discussed the unusually large number of Israelis who returned from abroad specifically to cast their ballots. According to Huckabee, approximately 160,000 Israeli citizens flew into the country for Election Day because Israel generally does not permit absentee voting.

The ambassador said many political observers had assumed that the influx of returning voters would work against Netanyahu, but the election results challenged that expectation.

“Many people saw that influx of voters as coming in to vote against the prime minister. Obviously they were wrong about that,” Huckabee continued.

Huckabee also weighed in on an Israeli security investigation into allegations that foreign governments attempted to influence the election by secretly financing political activity in Arab communities. Reports have identified Qatar and Turkey as possible sources of illicit funding, although investigators have not established whether the allegations are substantiated.

The Shin Bet has been examining intelligence concerning possible foreign interference, with reports indicating that the Mossad has also become involved. Huckabee described the inquiry as “a very serious and a full-level investigation.”

He warned that confirmation of foreign interference could “really stir up some very strong feelings in Israel,” while emphasizing that the authorities have yet to reach definitive conclusions. “We don’t know the results of that investigation,” he said.

Israel’s Central Elections Committee has meanwhile rejected allegations that the election was systematically compromised, and the Shin Bet has stressed that its investigation should not be interpreted as casting suspicion on Arab voters generally. Netanyahu’s Likud party has alleged that the election was stolen, while opposition leaders have accused the prime minister of attempting to discredit the results.