U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee pushed back on the idea that President Donald Trump has broken with Israel’s government in calling out the humanitarian crisis in Gaza on Tuesday, adding that he remains close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Let me assure you that there is no break between the prime minister of Israel and the president,” Huckabee said in a Tuesday interview with Fox News. “Their relationship, I think, [is] stronger than it's ever been, and I think the relationship between the U.S. and Israel is as strong as it's ever been.”
The comments come after Trump said Monday that there is "real starvation" in Gaza, contradicting Netanyahu’s denial of a hunger crisis in the war-torn region. A United Nations-backed report warned this week that a “worst-case scenario of famine” is playing out in Gaza.
Earlier this month, Netanyahu said there was “no daylight” between his government and the Trump administration, praising Trump for the recent U.S. military’s bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites.
Trump on Monday stopped short of joining France and the United Kingdom in their commitment to recognizing a Palestinian state ahead of September’s United Nations General Assembly. But he said he told Netanyahu to change course and vowed to work with European allies to “set up food centers” in Gaza.
Huckabee called the decisions by European leaders “very foolish,” arguing it amounts to support of Hamas leaders.
“All they lift is their tongue, and what they're saying is very detrimental to any future peace process, and it's certainly detrimental to dealing with Gaza right now,” he said. “It has just made Hamas feel like that they have a real opportunity to declare a victory.”
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