Mike Huckabee sent a harsh letter to the country’s interior minister, accusing Israel of blocking Christian groups from going to Israel.
By Catholics for Catholics | July 18, 2025
All is not well between Christians and the government of Israel.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has threatened to declare in public that Israel is not welcoming of Christian groups. He said the country is not approving tourist visas for Evangelical missions.
In addition, things have worsened between the two groups since an Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic Church on Thursday killed three people and injured several more, according to The Times of Israel. The act has drawn condemnation from the international community and the government of Israel has expressed “deep sorrow,” saying that the church was hit by accident and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is investigating.
Huckabee made the threat via a letter sent Wednesday to Interior Minister Moshe Arbel. The Minister countered the allegations in a response letter that was obtained by The Times of Israel.
Huckabee threatened to direct his embassy to take give-and-take procedures against tourists from Israel who want visas to enter the US.
For a long time, Huckabee has been a steadfast supporter of Israel and with the Israeli government. That is why some are seeing the souring between him and Netanyahu’s government as a shock.
“Israel, you are losing me” Michael Knowles
Catholic & political commentator, @michaeljknowles reacts to the recent attack of Israel on the ONLY Catholic Church in Gaza, and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee accusing Israel of blocking Christian groups from entering Israel. pic.twitter.com/EiknA4qxg8
— Catholics for Catholics 🇺🇲 (@CforCatholics) July 19, 2025
The Times of Israel reported that Huckabee, who is an evangelical pastor, has led many Christian groups to tour the country. Touring the Holy Land is something close to the ambassador’s heart.
The exchange in letters happened two months after Huckabee and Arbel met on May 27 to discuss problems faced by Christian Zionists seeking to visit Israel.
“It is with great distress that I write to you my profound disappointment that the meeting held in your office has not resulted in what I hoped to be a simple resolution of the issue of routine granting of visas for Christian organizations and workers, as has been practiced for decades,” Huckabee wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The Times of Israel on Friday.
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