US Ambassador Mike Huckabee defies Trump, says ‘without Israel, there would be no America’

WASHINGTON, DC: US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Tuesday, June 16, that the United States would not exist without Israel, arguing that America’s foundations are rooted in Jewish history and heritage. 

Speaking at an Israeli heritage conference, Huckabee argued that America’s foundations are rooted in Jewish history and heritage.  The remarks came shortly after President Donald Trump publicly emphasized the extent of American support for Israel and suggested the country’s security depended heavily on US backing. 

Huckabee links America’s origins to Israel

Speaking at the Conference Huckabee said the historical and religious foundations of Israel were inseparable from the origins of the United States.

“It is your heritage, without a doubt,” Huckabee said. “But it is also the heritage of the United States. Without Israel, without the Jewish foundation, there would not be America. We owe our very existence to what happened in this land.”

The ambassador said part of his role was to represent the importance of Israel to the United States and to emphasize the historical connections between the two countries. 

Speaking at the G7 summit just hours before Huckabee's statement, Trump argued that American support had been essential to Israel’s survival.

“Without the US, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel because no other President was willing to do what I did,” Trump said during remarks alongside Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Remarks draw political reaction amid Iran deal debate

Huckabee’s remarks also followed a period of public disagreement between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the administration’s newly announced agreement with Iran.

Speaking to The New York Times after the agreement was unveiled, Trump criticized Netanyahu, describing him as “a very difficult guy” and saying Israel should be grateful for Washington’s diplomatic efforts.

“He’s a very difficult guy,” Trump said. “And to be honest with you, he should be very thankful to us for doing this. Because if Iran had a nuclear weapon, Israel wouldn’t be around for two hours.”

The ambassador’s comments drew criticism from former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who challenged Huckabee’s characterization of America’s origins. “Huckabee says we owe our very existence to Israel,” Greene wrote on X. “No. We owe our existence to God. So gross. What is wrong with him?”

The debate comes as the Trump administration seeks to advance a broader Middle East diplomatic framework following the US-Iran agreement, while disagreements remain over Israel’s role in regional security arrangements and military operations in Lebanon.

As Trump also criticised Netanyahu for Israeli strikes on residential buildings in Beirut hours before the peace deal with Iran was announced.  "I saw that attack. I saw where that bomb went. That was a vicious attack, that was too much, you know, you can do too much also," Trump said. 

Huckabee, a longtime supporter of Israel and Baptist minister confirmed as ambassador earlier this year, has frequently emphasized the historical and religious bonds between the United States and Israel.