Abby Phillip, Bernstein, Jennings Agree that Huckabee Appointment Would Dismiss Two-State Solution in Israel

ARRIGHI: “If I can defend Mike Huckabee for a second, Mike Huckabee has been to Israel 100+ times. The man knows the issue better than just about anyone. He was an — ambassador‘s role in the previous Trump Administration, was governor of Arkansas. He is as legitimate as a person. The person who is losing sleep tonight is the Ayatollah. That’s who should be losing sleep with Rubio and him and Stefanik. Those are our mission sets. And by the way, the war in Gaza that happened under the Biden Administration, we need a force posture that deters aggression. We had it in a previous Trump Administration with zero new wars. There’s two new wars. We can say, criticize Trump all we want, but he’s anti-hawk and he’s the candidate of peace.”
HANNAH-Jones: “You can‘t actually believe that Mike Huckabee knows more about that region than almost anybody else? I mean, there is no way.”
ARRIGHI: “He knows a great deal.”
HANNAH-Jones “You said he knoews more than anyone else because he visited Israel 100 times. And then when you just think about the language that’s being used, ‘This is not an occupied place. This isn’t anybody’s land.’”
BERNSTEIN: “‘Judea and Samaria.’”
HANNAH-Jones: “Right. You know, I don’t think you can actually — “C
JENNINGS: “He supports Israel. This was a candidate who ran on a platform and has a record, by the way, of supporting Israel, and, by the way, has a record of brokering peace accords in the Middle Least. Let‘s not forget the Abraham Accords. But he’s a pro-Israel candidate, he gets elected, and now he is putting a pro-Israel ambassador to go represent us to Israel. This shouldn‘t be surprising to anyone.”
PHILLIP: “I guess the other part of this is that U.S. policy is that the settlements are illegal, that they are in inhibition to a lasting peace in the region. Mike Huckabee is on record saying there’s no such thing as settlements, that Israel can do whatever they want. I mean, I guess the real question is, I mean, if the goal is — it’s fine, there are a lot of people, most people who are in that ambassadorship are pro-Israel. But there’s also a United States government posture that is about how do we get to an end to the conflict? I’m having a hard time seeing Mike Huckabee getting there.”
BERNSTEIN: “Also, a two-state solution has been the objective of our government, and Huckabee right there is saying there will never be a two-state solution.”
JENNINGS: “Well, a lot of Republicans don‘t believe in that.”
BERNSTEIN: “Exactly. That is why I say one of the losers of this election is indeed the Palestinian people and their aspirations.”
PHILLIP: “And by the way, the Palestinian people are real.”
BERNSTEIN: “Exactly. It is possible to support Israel and the Jewish state, and at the same time find a way to advocate for the aspirations of the Palestinian people at once, as many Israelis have done throughout this conflict.”