Mike Huckabee grabbed headlines in his recent interview with Tucker Carlson because of his outlandish claim that Israel ought to possess most of the land in the Middle East. But Carlson, true to form, also made some outlandish claims.
Carlson interviewed Huckabee, U.S. ambassador to Israel, at the Ben Gurion Airport in Israel on Feb. 19. The circus surrounding the interview included Carlson’s fake story of being detained and interrogated by Israeli security. This non-story produced more news stories than the interview. I counted 40 posts on two Google pages.
The two hour and forty-six-minute interview feels like being stuck in a really long sermon as the preacher drones on and on until doomsday.
Billed as an attempt to heal a rift in MAGA over long-accepted doctrine of full support of Israel, the interview became a WWF smackdown between Carlson and Huckabee.
“Billed as an attempt to heal a rift in MAGA over long-accepted doctrine of full support of Israel, the interview became a WWF smackdown between Carlson and Huckabee.”
Pre-publicity for the interview claimed President Donald Trump had asked Carlson to help heal the rift among MAGA over Israel. Anyone thinking Carlson could play the role of peacemaker, diplomat and soother of the troubled waters is delusional.
I read the transcript to understand why we should care about a former Fox News correspondent talking to a Southern Baptist preacher and Christian Zionist. The bottom of the barrel prejudice is hard to overcome, but here are a few of the issues worth exploring.
Carlson challenged the right of Jews to live in Israel and disputes what it means to be a Jew. In effect, he denies the entire biblical narrative of the Jews as God’s chosen people.
He should go read some Stanley Hauerwas: “God is here at Bethel in a way that God is not everywhere. This is the God of Abraham and Isaac. This is the God of this land, the land of Palestine, which is given to Jacob. … It may sound arrogant to those of us who like to think God is the great democratic politician running the bureaucracies fairly. But I tell you this, if God is not the God of the Jews, our faith is in vain.”
Carlson pressed Huckabee about his interpretation of Bible verses from the book of Genesis, where he said God promised Abraham and his descendants land from the Nile to the Euphrates. He added: “That would be the Levant, so that would be Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon. It would also be big parts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.”
Huckabee replied: “Not sure we’d go that far. I mean, it would be a big piece of land.”
But later Huckabee explained: “It would be fine if they took it all, but I don’t think that’s what we’re talking about here today. I think it would be fine if the state of Israel took over all the land. They don’t want to take it over. They’re not asking to take it over. … We’re talking about this land that Israel, the state of Israel, now lives in and wants to have peace in. They’re not trying to take over Jordan, they’re not trying to take over Syria, they’re not trying to take over Iraq or Lebanon.”
At times it is hard to tell when Huckabee is being a Southern Baptist preacher or an ambassador. Huckabee saying, “It would be fine if they took it all,” is pure Southern Baptist pre-millennial, pre-tribulation, rapture dispensationalism.
“At times it is hard to tell when Huckabee is being a Southern Baptist preacher or an ambassador.”
Huckabee’s pulpit hyperbole became a disaster on the international stage of diplomacy where war is as likely the next step as an economic summit. Had he said nothing else, Huckabee has made one of the worst statements ever for a U.S. ambassador.
This is a stunning remark for an American diplomat. The foreign ministers of 14 Arab and Muslim governments jointly condemned Huckabee’s comments about Israel’s claim to the Middle East, which they called “dangerous and inflammatory” and a violation of international law.
Jordan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Fuad al-Majali, said the “absurd and provocative statements” constitute “an assault on the sovereignty of the countries of the region, and a flagrant breach of international law.” Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said they were a “blatant violation” of diplomatic norms contradicting Trump’s vision for ending the war in Gaza.
Huckabee previously signaled openness to Israel applying sovereignty in the West Bank, an area widely recognized by the international community as occupied Palestinian territory. Huckabee long has opposed the idea of a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinian people. In an interview last year, he said he does not believe in referring to the Arab descendants of people who had lived in British-controlled Palestine as “Palestinians.”
Then Carlson pressed Huckabee on the question, “Who is a Jew?”
He asked, “Why don’t we do genetic testing on everybody in the land and find out who Abram’s descendants are?” Then he made it personal. “Bibi’s (Netanyahu) family, we know they lived in Eastern Europe. There’s no evidence they ever lived here.”
Huckabee responded: “Well, if you take the genealogies that come not only from the Old, but the New Testament, you see that there is a historical connection through the entirety of the Old and the New Testament.”
There are several helpful things Huckabee could have said but didn’t.
He could have reminded Carlson the Jews are God’s people in a way no others are God’s people. They are called to be a blessing to the world. They were scattered around the world, but according to the promises of the prophets, God has brought them home.
Or Huckabee could have reminded Carlson the existence of the Jews is embodied in God’s divine covenant.
But nothing this incarnational, bodily or material crosses Huckabee’s literalistic mind. Here he is all politician and not a preacher at all. He simply fails to realize Carlson systematically denies the very existence of the Jewish people. He commits intellectual, theological genocide. This is why Netanyahu labels Carlson a Nazi.
Late in the interview, Carlson asks a crucial question: “Is Israel pushing Trump to war with Iran?” He points out Netanyahu has been in the White House “seven times in one year, pushing for regime change in Iran. I think they’re on the verge of convincing this administration to affect regime change in Iran. Do you think the president is weak and is being pushed?”
Huckabee didn’t really address the question but insisted Trump is not weak and is not being pushed.
Huckabee shows both a lack of political sophistication and an appalling lack of biblical knowledge in the interview. With friends like him, Israel doesn’t need more enemies. Huckabee disgraces America and the church — a double whammy for such a Christian Zionist and nationalist.
Rodney W. Kennedy is a pastor and writer. He is the author of 11 books, including his latest, Dancing with Metaphors in the Pulpit.