The Senate’s confirmation of former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee as U.S. ambassador to Israel is a momentous victory for the Jewish people, for Israel, and for the residents of Judea and Samaria. For those of us who have spent decades advocating for the Jewish right to live and thrive in our ancestral homeland, Huckabee’s appointment is nothing short of historic.

Huckabee is not a newcomer to Israel.  He’s a frequent visitor — more than 100 times — and not just to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.  He has walked the hills of Shiloh, prayed in Hebron, stood in solidarity in Beit El, and celebrated the Jewish renaissance in places too often dismissed or maligned by the global media.  He has always spoken truth without apology: Judea and Samaria are the biblical heartland of the Jewish people, and the Jewish people have every right — spiritually, historically, and legally — to live there.

His confirmation could not have come at a more critical time.  As Israel faces threats from Iran’s proxies in Lebanon and Gaza, and pressure from international bodies to halt building in the so-called “West Bank,” Huckabee’s voice and leadership will serve as a critical anchor of moral clarity and courage.  He understands that building homes in Ariel or Gush Etzion is not an obstacle to peace; it is peace, because Jewish presence in our land affirms our right to exist.

As Ambassador Huckabee said at our One Israel Fund Gala earlier this year, “you will never be alone again in your fight for freedom and to preserve the country and the land and the heritage that God gave you.”  That quote wasn’t just a sound bite.  It was a promise, and now it’s a policy.  Huckabee’s appointment brings that same energy and commitment directly into the halls of diplomacy, where it is so urgently needed.

Governor Huckabee has long rejected the failed paradigms of the past.  He has been an outspoken critic of the two-state solution, which has rewarded terror and punished Israeli sovereignty.  He has supported moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, visited Israel through thick and thin, and used his platform in America to call out the double-standards against Israel.  His commitment is deep, rooted in faith and fact — and now, it carries the full weight of diplomatic authority.

For the residents of Judea and Samaria — families building schools, raising children, planting vineyards, and safeguarding the Jewish homeland — this is a validation.  It is a sign that the United States, under this Trump administration, recognizes the facts on the ground and the eternal truth of our connection to this land.

This is a moment to celebrate.  With Mike Huckabee as ambassador, we gaining a friend in the embassy — and more than that, a warrior, an advocate, and a man who understands that the Land of Israel belongs to the People of Israel.

May his tenure bring blessing to the State of Israel, strength to its pioneers in Judea and Samaria, and a renewed sense of pride in our unbreakable bond with the United States.

Image via Pxbarn.