U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Thursday offered a three-part explanation for why American public opinion has soured on Israel, pointing to social media disinformation, foreign propaganda, a deficit in “biblical literacy,” and a broader animosity toward people who believe in God and divine rules. His remarks came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his country’s actions before the United Nations General Assembly.
“You add all that together, I guess you just want to be mad at Israel and blame them for everything,” Huckabee said in an interview with NewsNation’s Leland Vittert. “And it’s very unfortunate because Israel has actually given to the world and especially to America and our partnership some very valuable things.”
Recent polling underscores the erosion of support. A Pew Research Center survey found that 62 percent of Americans now hold an unfavorable view of the Israeli government, with a stark partisan split: 51 percent of Republicans view it favorably, versus just 16 percent of Democrats. Confidence in Netanyahu personally is also low across the board.
The shift is not confined to Democrats. Republicans have grown more critical since the outbreak of the Iran war earlier this year, which the U.S. entered alongside Israel. Notable voices on the right, including former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and commentator Tucker Carlson, have condemned Israeli actions in Gaza as genocide or questioned Israel’s role in dragging Washington into a broader conflict. Carlson, who interviewed Huckabee in Israel in February, represents a vocal faction of Trump’s “America First” base that argues the president has abandoned his promise to avoid foreign entanglements.
Israel’s U.N. ambassador, Danny Danon, disputed the negative polling, suggesting the survey questions were flawed. “I believe the majority of Americans appreciate the bond and alliance between the people” of the U.S. and Israel, he told The Hill.
Huckabee has faced sharp criticism from lawmakers like Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who accused him of being “a complete apologist for the most extreme Israeli government in history.” Van Hollen argued that Huckabee has failed to defend American interests, particularly after the ambassador suggested Israel has a biblical claim to territory beyond its current borders.
In response, Huckabee rejected accusations of genocide or apartheid, noting that Muslims, Druze, and Christians serve in Israel’s military, vote, and hold seats in the Knesset and Supreme Court. “If you’re apartheid, that’s not making any sense,” he said.
He framed the issue as a “spiritual problem,” asserting that critics are unwilling to accept facts. “People just don’t want to hear the truth because they want to be mad at somebody,” Huckabee said. “Well, let’s pick on the Jews.”
The debate comes amid ongoing tensions at the U.N., where Netanyahu’s address was set against the backdrop of the Iran conflict and the Gaza war. Meanwhile, protesters were arrested outside the U.N. during the speech, reflecting the deep divisions over Israeli policy.
