Mike Huckabee In Israel: Obama's Harsh Stance Hurts Peace Talks

JERUSALEM — The U.S. has taken too harsh a stance against Israel on the issue of settlements, hindering peace negotiations, former Arkansas governor and presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee said during a visit to Israel on Monday.

Huckabee, a Southern Baptist preacher popular among the Republican Party's social conservatives, has been touted as a possible Republican candidate in 2012.

His three-day trip, focusing on visits to settlements and meetings with settler leaders, puts him in direct opposition to President Barack Obama and positions him even to the right of Israel's own hawkish prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Obama has been pushing Israel to freeze settlements. And Netanyahu has pledged to dismantle unauthorized settlement outposts such as one Huckabee plans to visit.

The Obama administration has specifically criticized Israeli building plans in east Jerusalem, where Israeli control has never been internationally recognized and which the Palestinians want for the capital of a future state.

"It concerns me when there are some in the United States who would want to tell Israel that it cannot allow people to live in their own country, wherever they want," Huckabee said in east Jerusalem.

He said the Obama administration's emphasis on the settlement issue sets a condition that unnecessarily impedes peace talks.

Later Monday, Huckabee is slated to attend a dinner at the Shepherd Hotel, the site of a controversial planned housing project in east Jerusalem. The Obama administration has called for Israel to suspend the project, which is funded by American millionaire Irving Moskowitz. Israel rejected the demand, saying east Jerusalem is part of Israel's capital.

Anti-settlement protesters plan to hold a demonstration outside the dinner, and the Israeli group Ir Amim, which promotes Jewish-Arab coexistence in Jerusalem, condemned Huckabee's visit to the hotel.

The group said in a statement that Huckabee "is seeking to regain his standing in the American political system by befriending extremists among settler organizations in Israel."

The U.S. administration is pressing Israel to stop building settlements on lands the Palestinians claim for a future state, including east Jerusalem, which was captured and annexed by Israel in 1967.

Israel insists some settlement construction must continue to accommodate the expanding settler population, and the issue has morphed into an unusually public dispute between the two traditionally close allies. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has refused to hold peace talks with Israel until a settlement freeze is implemented.

The number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank – home to some 2.5 million Palestinians – has more than doubled since the mid-1990s and now tops 300,000. Another 180,000 Israelis live in Jewish neighborhoods built in east Jerusalem.

Comments

[clearlythinking]

I bet he thought the Dixie Chicks were horrible.

[pomegrante]

please stay there mr. huckabee,and while you're there send for your bretherens' in congress.

[whoa20]

Well I don't support Huckabee or anything he does. but Steny Hoyer came to a similar conclusion. I think its telling when such polar opposites tell the same story. Obama has to get the Arabs to the peace table already! They are only hardening Israel's stance.

[Freenation]

huck.abee can't wait to cash-in the big fat check he got from A.IPAC for selling out his country...

[Justtellthetruth]

This guy is a complete whack job who would have us all believe that the worlds only violently enforced colonial settlement movement should be treated any differently than apartheid south Africa. The settlements are morally indefensible and need to be totally evacuated and completely razed to the ground. they are an affront to every nation that values human rights and are diametrically opposed to the values that DEFINE the US.

God HELP America if this religious fanatic gets anywhere NEAR the white house.

[rudolph]

Sorry, it's HUCKABEE

[rudolph]

Politics stops at the border.

What's wrong with asking Israel to live up to its promises? Respect UN resolutions?

Could Huckaby possibly be looking for votes?

[seal62]

He can play base to Sarahs fancy pagent walking

[Ameriki]

I want to like Mike. There is only three degrees of separation between me and him, and those are people I like and respect but often disagree with. Stuff like this is hate mongering and racist and typical of what is wrong with American christianity and the Republican party.

[EGB]

"He said the Obama administration's emphasis on the settlement issue sets a condition that unnecessarily impedes peace talks."

1). Every Arab nation in the region and the Palestinian Authority disagree with this statement, which mirrors the position of the Netanyahu government. The settlements are where the rubber meets the road in the occupation of disputed territoties, including East Jerusalem.
2) It's about money, folks. The hotel he will visit is one of the many ventures of an American Jew who made his considerable fortune in the bingo business. This guy is a primary funder of extremist elements in Israel. He is a leading underwriter of provocation of Arabs living in peace with Israelis, particularly in East Jerusalem, which is not recognized by any nation except Israel as Israeli territory. The hotel is but one example. There are many others. I'm sure that Huckabee's inappropriate comments on our foreign policy in the region will net him a few bucks for his next campaign, or at least some complimentary bingo cards.

[greatscot]

Huckabee is delusional because he believes in a literal deity with whom he no doubt "speaks" and who "speaks" to him. His belief system is based on writings by unknown persons and of uncertain dates and provenance, but of which he is so certain that he wishes to spread it to the entire world.

A disinterested scientist might conclude the man is insane, but instead we call it "faith" and go on about our business.

Aside from all of that, though, Huckabee is talking plain nonsense when he accepts "Israel" today as the Israel of 1948. It is not and was never meant to be. Israelis have stolen half the land they inhabit and have no legal right to "live anywhere in their country", because its not all their country. And why so much concern from a man who has another delusion, the one about Jesus coming back to earth and which involves the massacre of every Jew who doesn't convert to Christainity on the spot?

[farru83]

does anybody take this guy seriously?????

[MemoryAlpha]

Staggered Observation:
Obama went overseas during his presidential campaign and was /very/ cautious to say absolutely nothing to undermine current US policy -- as reprehensible as it was at the time (and honestly, largely continues to be) -- and Republicans still tried to label him as a traitor.

And now the Republicans turn around and do /exactly/ what they accused Obama of doing.

I think it is time to call out Republicans for what they are -- selfish and upatriotic.

[Antifascist-08]

excellent.

[MajorKong]

It all makes sense once you realize that Republicans are allowed to do or say whatever they want, wherever they want and us liberals need to just "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

[jordanispalestine]

First time I ever agreed with you! probably the last!

[Samlas]

Huckabee is a traitor and should not be allowed on American soil again and should move into one of settlements in the stolen Palestinian lands. He will get free healthcare paid for by American billions sent to Israel in the form of aid.

[bigsioux]

Mike, how many people did you pay to follow you to pretend they cared what you had to say?