President-elect Donald Trump announced that he will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a committed Christian Zionist, to be ambassador to Israel.

The pick marks a shift for the post, which was filled in the Biden, Obama and first Trump administrations by political allies of the presidents who were Jewish — Dan Shapiro, David Friedman, Tom Nides and Jack Lew. 

Huckabee, who was formerly the governor of Arkansas, has long been vocal about his support for the Jewish state and its ties to the West Bank. He served as governor until 2007, after which he mounted two bids for the Republican presidential nomination, in 2008 and 2016.

Trump said in his announcement that Huckabee “loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him.”

Huckabee is the first country-level ambassador announced by the incoming Trump administration, indicating Trump’s strong focus on Israel and the Middle East coming into his second term. His pick for U.N. ambassador, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), is also expected to focus heavily on Israel in her posting in Turtle Bay.

Huckabee visited Israel, including Kibbutz Kfar Aza, in December 2023, on an evangelical solidarity mission. He said that the “gut punch” of touring the destroyed kibbutz strengthened his commitment to supporting Israel, and said he thought it was critical for him to see the destruction with his own eyes.

“If we don’t stand with Israel, we stand for chaos,” Huckabee said. “I thought that we need, as Americans, to say with conviction to our Jewish friends in Israel: we stand with you,” he continued. “What you’ve been through is a level of savagery that no human being should experience. And [we need] to say boldly to the people in the US who are parading in the streets, completely misunderstanding what this is about, that there is no moral equivalency.”

He emphasized the need to better-educate youth, especially evangelical youth, about Israel.

Huckabee has also been an outspoken supporter of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, a territory Huckabee has referred to as Judea and Samaria. 

He said during a 2015 visit that he believes the West Bank is rightfully part of Israel, and that the term “occupied” is not an appropriate term to describe the territory. He participated in a bricklaying ceremony at a West Bank settlement in 2018, expressed support for Israeli settlement construction over the Green Line and has mused about buying a home in a West Bank settlement.

“I think Israel has title deed to Judea and Samaria,” Huckabee said during a 2017 visit. “There are certain words I refuse to use. There is no such thing as a West Bank. It’s Judea and Samaria. There’s no such thing as a settlement. They’re communities, they’re neighborhoods, they’re cities. There’s no such thing as an occupation.”

The pick is likely to excite right-wing Israeli ministers who have seen Trump’s election as a chance to advance plans to expand settlements and annex part or all of the West Bank.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar praised the pick, calling Huckabee a “longstanding friend of Israel and our eternal capital Jerusalem.” Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir tweeted news of Huckabee’s selection with a heart emoji bookended by the Israeli and American flags.

Huckabee also said in 2015 that former President Barack Obama was bringing Jews “to the door of the oven” by signing a nuclear deal with Iran, comments that drew criticism from then-Israeli Ambassador to Israel Ron Dermer, now a top advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Huckabee doubled down on the comments amid criticism.

The choice also met the approval of the Republican Jewish Coalition.

“As a man of deep faith, we know Governor Huckabee’s abounding love of Israel and its people is second to none,” former Sen. Norm Coleman, RJC’s national chairman, and CEO Matt Brooks said in a statement. “As the Jewish state continues to fight an existential war for survival against Iran and its terrorist proxies, Governor Huckabee will represent America’s ironclad commitment to Israel’s security with distinction.”

Mark Dubowitz, the CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, called Huckabee “an excellent choice” who “embodies a profound commitment to Israel, rooted in his deep religious conviction and his understanding that America and Israel share common values and common enemies.”

He said that the pick sends “a powerful message: [Trump] stands firmly with Israel.”

The selection of Huckabee, a Baptist minister and longtime fixture in Christian broadcasting, may be a nod to the vocal Christian Zionist base in the Republican Party.

Sandra Parker, the chairwoman of the Christians United for Israel Action Fund, said “there is no better person to represent the American people in Jerusalem at this time.”

“Gov. Mike Huckabee believes in Israel’s right to self-determination and defense, not because it is politically convenient to do so but because these are immutable tenets of his core beliefs,” Parker said. “Whether serving his congregation as a Pastor or his constituents as Governor, Huckabee has both the heart and mind for this Ambassadorship and we know he will work tirelessly to ensure the relationship between America and Israel remains stronger than ever.”

Friedman, who served as ambassador to Israel in Trump’s first term, said he was “thrilled” by the pick.

“It speaks volumes to the importance and priority that President Trump places on the US — Israel relationship that he selected his Ambassador to Israel within one week of his election,” Friedman said. “And the selection itself — Mike Huckabee is one of Israel’s greatest friends — tells us that the days of public daylight between the US and Israel are about to end!”