U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee declared Tuesday that the United States no longer supports the creation of a Palestinian state in Israel’s biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria, commonly known as the West Bank. In a major policy shift, Huckabee suggested a Palestinian entity could be established “elsewhere in the region” and reaffirmed U.S. resolve against Iran’s nuclear ambitions and Hamas’s hostage-taking.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Huckabee dismissed the long-standing two-state solution as outdated and unrealistic. “Unless there are some significant things that happen that change the culture, there’s no room for it,” he said, adding that such changes are unlikely “in our lifetime.” When asked directly if a Palestinian state remains a U.S. objective, Huckabee responded, “I don’t think so.”
He questioned the assumption that any Palestinian state must be formed within Israeli territory, asking, “Does it have to be in Judea and Samaria?” His comments reflect a growing alignment with Israeli and evangelical Christian perspectives that view these territories as historically and biblically Jewish.
Huckabee placed the blame for the ongoing Gaza war squarely on Hamas, the Iran-backed terrorist group responsible for the October 7 massacre — the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. He insisted the war will not end until Hamas releases all hostages. Fifty-five remain unaccounted for, including Americans, many presumed dead.
The ambassador praised the U.S.-Israel Gaza Humanitarian Foundation for delivering aid while preventing Hamas from seizing supplies. He reiterated that humanitarian assistance must not empower terror groups, calling for global accountability from Hamas before pressuring Israel.
On Iran, Huckabee echoed President Donald Trump’s uncompromising approach, declaring, “Iran’s not going to have a nuclear weapon.” He vowed total dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear capabilities and said “nothing’s off the table,” hinting at possible military intervention.
His remarks break sharply from decades of bipartisan U.S. support for a Palestinian state based on pre-1967 lines. They arrive as European and Arab leaders prepare to meet in New York to revive the Palestinian Authority’s role in the region — a move now at odds with current U.S. policy.
