U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Wednesday that threats facing Israel, particularly from Iran, also pose a direct danger to the United States, speaking at a Knesset caucus dedicated to strengthening Israel-U.S. relations.
“The freedom you enjoy here, which is threatened every day by enemies like Iran, is also a threat to the United States,” Huckabee said. “Many Americans don’t think about it because Iran is thousands of miles away. But for 48 years Iran has brought death to America, killed thousands of Americans, and is working to build a global nuclear threat.”
US ambassador Huckabee at Knesset: threats facing Israel also threaten America
(Video: Knesset Channel)
The caucus, initiated by the Ruderman Family Foundation and chaired by Knesset members Ohad Tal, Boaz Bismuth, Michal Shir Segman and Moshe Tur-Paz, convened under the leadership of Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. It was attended by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, former Israel ambassador to the United States Mike Herzog, ministers, lawmakers and other senior officials.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of heightened regional tensions and public discussion of possible coordinated action against Iran, as well as ongoing U.S.-Iran diplomatic efforts. Organizers said the gathering also marked 250 years since the founding of the United States and aimed to underscore the strategic importance of ties between Israel, the United States and American Jewry.
Huckabee described the alliance as unique. “There are many countries with which we have alliances. But there is only one country in the world with which we have a true partnership unlike any other — and that is Israel,” he said.
Addressing U.S. military aid, Huckabee said the $3.8 billion in annual assistance represents a small fraction — about 0.005% — of the roughly $7 trillion U.S. federal budget. He noted that much of the funding is spent on American-made military equipment.
“Every round of ammunition that the IDF uses is manufactured by SIG Sauer just outside of Little Rock, Arkansas, where I live,” he said. “It is not a one-way street. It is a two-way street.”
Huckabee also said Iran’s influence extends beyond the Middle East. “Already, the proxies of Iran are in 12 countries in the Western Hemisphere. This is no longer a Middle Eastern problem,” he said. “Iran has become a global threat to everything good, decent, holy and free.”
He added that the security of both countries is intertwined and expressed hope that the bilateral relationship would continue to deepen “to the benefit of the safety and security of the people of Israel and the people of the United States.”
Ruderman Family Foundation CEO Shira Ruderman said the relationship between the two countries is “far beyond a strategic alliance,” calling it a partnership rooted in shared values of freedom and democracy. She said strengthening ties among Israel, the United States and American Jewry is a long-term strategic interest.
Orna and Ronen Neutra, parents of fallen soldier Omer Neutra, addressed the gathering, describing their son as “a hero of two nations” and a living bridge between Israel and the United States. They said the struggle to secure support for Israel and the hostages has also played out in Washington and warned of eroding backing among younger Americans.
“The connection between Israel and the United States is not self-evident,” they said. “If the younger generation there does not feel part of our story, it will not just be a public diplomacy problem but a strategic challenge.”
Lawmaker Michal Shir Segman said the two nations are bound not only by political interests but by a shared democratic narrative. “Israelis and Americans together — even in hundreds of years — both nations will remain free, strong and tied in an unbreakable democratic alliance,” she said.