Trump’s Selection of Huckabee and Witkoff Offers Insight into Middle East Policy

Mike Huckabee has, for the moment, maintained a reserved stance. Following his nomination by President-elect Donald Trump as the prospective US ambassador to Israel, the former Republican governor of Arkansas stated: “I won’t make the policy. I will carry out the policy of the president.” Nevertheless, he offered insight into his anticipated policy direction, referencing the prior Trump administration’s actions to relocate the US embassy to Jerusalem and acknowledge the occupied Golan Heights as Israeli land. These decisions garnered strong approval from the Israeli right wing and were unequivocally opposed by Palestinians. He informed an Israeli radio station, “No-one has done more,” adding, “President Trump and I fully expect that will continue.” The specific strategy Trump intends to employ regarding the Israel-Gaza war remains undetermined. However, the Israeli political right wing has expressed satisfaction with the president-elect’s selection of Huckabee, interpreting it as a sign of a future American policy term that will strongly support their long-held objectives of retaining West Bank territory and expanding settlements. This appointment was met with enthusiasm by two far-right ministers within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich posted congratulations to “a consistent and loyal friend” on the social media platform X, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir simply wrote “Mike Huckabee” accompanied by heart emojis. Smotrich and Ben-Gvir have grounds for their positive reaction to Huckabee’s selection, given his consistent backing for the aspirations of many Israelis to extend into areas designated for a potential future Palestinian state. During a 2017 press conference, held soon after a cornerstone-laying event at one of the largest Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Huckabee declared: “There’s no such thing as a settlement. They’re communities, they’re neighbourhoods, they’re cities.“There’s no such thing as an occupation.” In the subsequent year, he stated: “I think Israel has title deed to Judea and Samaria,” employing the terminology favored by many in Israel for the region that became the occupied West Bank after its capture by Israel during the 1967 Middle East war. The prior Trump administration announced in 2019 that it did not deem Israeli settlements unlawful under international law, a stance that diverged from decades of US policy. Additional decisions, such as a 2020 peace proposal that endorsed the annexation of Israeli settlements, were perceived as more beneficial to settlers than those of any preceding administration. The Israeli far right has suggested that it views Huckabee’s appointment as an indication that its agenda, including the annexation of the West Bank, can be further pursued during the upcoming Trump term. Smotrich stated on Monday that 2025 would mark “the year of sovereignty” in the West Bank, further noting that he had directed Israeli authorities to commence preliminary preparations for the annexation of the occupied territory. This potential development represents a significant concern for Mustafa Barghouti, a veteran Palestinian politician based in the West Bank and leader of the Palestinian National Initiative political movement. He remarked, “You can imagine the reaction of other powerful countries in the world would be, when the idea of annexing occupied territories, obtained by war, becomes legal and acceptable,” adding, “So it’s not just about Palestinians and our suffering, it’s about the international order.” The fulfillment of Smotrich’s aspiration is yet to be determined. Tal Schneider, a political correspondent for the Times of Israel, commented that it is not a certainty that a US ambassador supportive of settlers will lead to pro-settler policies from Washington. She stated, “Four years ago, some of the people that surrounded Trump were very much pro-settlements and pro-annexing, but it didn’t work like that last time. I predict it’s not going to work like that this time around.” Huckabee was not the sole appointment revealed on Tuesday. The president-elect also announced that Steve Witkoff would assume the role of his special envoy to the Middle East. In addition to his profession as a real estate developer, Witkoff is also a long-standing golf companion of Trump’s. The two were engaged in a game together during a second unsuccessful assassination attempt in September. Witkoff’s foreign policy background for this position is not evident, though he has previously commended Trump’s engagement with Israel. In July, he asserted that Trump’s “leadership was good for Israel and the entire region”. He further stated, “With President Trump, the Middle East experienced historic levels of peace and stability. Strength prevents wars. Iran’s money was cut off which prevented their funding of global terror.” Netanyahu’s choice to nominate a hardline settler leader as Israeli ambassador to Washington, made three days after Trump’s election, similarly suggests the prime minister anticipates the incoming administration will be amenable to right-wing perspectives. Yechiel Leiter, born in the US, who served as Netanyahu’s chief of staff during his tenure as finance minister, advocates for the annexation of the West Bank. The Haaretz newspaper reported that he was formerly involved with the US-based Jewish Defence League, an organization established by far-right rabbi Meir Kahane. His son died while fighting in Gaza. He was also reported to be a proponent of the Abraham Accords, Trump’s initiatives aimed at normalizing relations between Israel and Arab nations, which achieved some success. Nevertheless, progress in this process has been hindered by the continuing conflict in Gaza and widespread Arab resentment regarding the plight of Palestinians. Palestinians, already feeling disenchanted with the US due to Joe Biden’s backing of Israel during the Gaza war, assert that Trump’s selection for ambassador implies the next president will further diminish the likelihood of an eventual two-state resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian politician residing in the West Bank, stated, “Mr Huckabee has said things that are absolutely contradictory to international law,” adding, “It will be really bad news for the cause of peace in this region.”