US Ambassador Huckabee: It’s not our place to dictate to Israel what to do

The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, was interviewed Thursday on the "This Morning" program on Kan Reshet Bet, He spoke about his stance regarding America's involvement in Israel’s decision whether to pursue a ceasefire deal or continue the war in Gaza, as well as on the wave of recognition of a Palestinian state.

“It wouldn’t be wise for me to try to advise Netanyahu on what to do,” Huckabee clarified.

“First of all, we need to make sure Hamas is serious about a deal – because in the past, every time it seemed like there would be a deal, Hamas changed the conditions at the last minute. I hope they won’t do that this time. The U.S. position is clear – the president has said all the hostages must come home, and Hamas cannot remain in power.”

He added: “It’s not our place to dictate to Israel what to do. We will allow Israel to make the decision that is best for the country and for the hostages. It’s a very difficult decision, and no matter what is decided, there will be people who support it and people who oppose it. I want to make clear that the suffering happening now is not because of Israel, but because of Hamas.”

Regarding terms of a possible deal, Huckabee said: “I’m not in a position to say exactly what the conditions on the table are, and we don’t know all the details. We believe Hamas needs to disappear, just as the Nazis were removed from centers of power after World War II. What Hamas did on October 7 cannot be forgiven, and they cannot be left in place with any sense of victory, after Hamas terrorists murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped 250.”

Later, he was asked about a U.S. deadline for ending the war. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to frame this in terms of a timetable,” he said.

“We need to ask what the objective is. If the goal is that there will never be another October 7 – then you can’t put that into a timeframe. We’ve seen the videos of the hostages, and I would like the whole world to condemn Hamas, but unfortunately, there are European countries that put more pressure on Israel than on Hamas.”

“The United States is actively pressuring European countries against recognizing a Palestinian state,” Huckabee added.

“We made it clear from the outset that we don’t intend to play this ridiculous game, which only delayed the release of the hostages. The Europeans started talking about unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, and Hamas stopped negotiating. If Europe declares recognition of a Palestinian state, Israel will declare sovereignty over parts of the West Bank, and that only undermines the entire effort and constitutes a violation of the Oslo Accords, which call for cooperation against unilateral steps. Maybe they think it will help, but it actually causes harm.”

When asked about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Huckabee replied: “I’m sure there are hungry people in Gaza. I haven’t heard verified reports of mass starvation, but I’m sure there are people who are hungry.”

“I just want us to remind ourselves why they are hungry – because there is a vicious terror organization that steals food from them and tries to sell it instead of giving it to those who need it. I don’t know why there aren’t more condemnations of the UN mechanism, which is so inefficient that according to their own figures, 92% of the aid is taken before it reaches the people.”