Huckabee Also Condemned Recent West Bank Attacks on Christian Church and Village: “A Crime Against Humanity and God”
JERUSALEM — In a pair of powerful public statements last week, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee issued a sharp rebuke to Israeli authorities over discriminatory visa practices against Evangelical Christian organizations and condemned recent attacks on a Christian church and village in the West Bank.
In a leaked letter sent to Israel’s Interior Ministry, Huckabee denounced what he described as “discriminatory and indefensible” visa denials and delays for Christian organizations operating in Israel. The letter, which surfaced in Israeli media on Thursday, accused the ministry of obstructing and arbitrarily rejecting visas for Christian workers and clergy who have long served in the region.
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“This pattern of bureaucratic obstruction and arbitrary rejection of visas threatens the historic and strategic relationship between the State of Israel and tens of millions of Evangelical Christians in the United States,” Huckabee wrote in the unusually strongly worded letter.
He warned that if Israel does not correct course, it risks alienating its most faithful allies in the United States. “To treat these ministries as disposable is to alienate the very people who have stood with Israel through war, terrorism, and political isolation,” the ambassador stated.
Many Christian NGOs and ministries report increasing difficulty operating in Israel due to unclear or shifting visa policies. Several leaders say the system feels intentionally burdensome, making it harder for Evangelical ministries to maintain a foothold in the Holy Land.
West Bank Church Attacked: “Crime Against Humanity and God”
In a separate development, Huckabee also condemned violent attacks last week on a historic Christian village and church in the West Bank, labeling the acts “a crime against humanity and God.”
After personally visiting the site of the arson attack, Huckabee issued a scathing statement:
“To burn a house of worship and harass an entire Christian community is not only a crime against humanity—it is a crime against God Himself,” he said. “This is not the Israel I have loved and defended for decades. It must stop.”
Local reports say radical settlers were behind the attack, which targeted one of the oldest Christian churches in the region and included vandalism, threats, and the torching of property. No arrests have yet been made, further inflaming tensions between Christian residents and extremist settler groups.
Huckabee’s response drew praise from Evangelical leaders and human rights advocates, who have long warned that Christians in the Holy Land are facing increasing hostility—from visa challenges to outright violence.
Diplomatic Pressure Mounts
The statements mark a rare moment of public confrontation between a U.S. ambassador and the Israeli government—particularly from an official known for his longstanding, vocal support of Israel.
A former governor and conservative Christian leader, Huckabee has deep ties to both the American Evangelical community and Israel’s political leadership. His willingness to publicly criticize Israeli authorities signals rising concern within the U.S. faith community over how Christian groups are being treated in the region.
The Israeli Interior Ministry has since responded to Huckabee’s letter, with Minister Moshe Arbel expressing surprise at the criticism and defending the visa process as fair and responsive. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has not issued any public statement regarding either the visa dispute or the recent attacks on the Christian village in the West Bank.
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