Overview
- U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee told attendees at the International Conference on Israeli Heritage in Judea and Samaria that the United States owes its very existence to the Jewish heritage rooted in the Land of Israel.
- He delivered the remarks at the opening session at Herodion National Park, stressing that biblical traditions and events in that land shaped the principles and values of the United States.
- Huckabee said part of his role as ambassador is to help Americans understand Israel’s importance to U.S. national identity and to promote the cultural and religious links between the two countries.
- News outlets reported the remarks in the same window that President Trump said 'Without the US, without me – there would be no Israel,' a pairing that places Huckabee’s historical framing alongside current administration messaging on U.S.-Israel support.
- The speech took place in the politically sensitive West Bank location of Herodion, a choice that carries symbolic diplomatic weight and could feed debate over Washington’s role in the region even though no policy changes were announced.