Huckabee: 700,000 Americans in Israel Could Make Houthi Attacks ‘Our Business’
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Thursday that Washington’s military response to Yemen’s Houthi rebels depends on whether their attacks harm American citizens—not simply their strikes on Israel. His comments come in the wake of a surprise ceasefire announcement between the US and the Iran-backed Houthis that has caught Israeli officials off guard.
“The United States isn’t required to get permission from Israel to make some type of arrangement that would get the Houthis from firing on our ships,” Huckabee told Israel’s Channel 12 in an interview set to air in full over the weekend. He said his understanding of the policy comes after personal conversations with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
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“There’s 700,000 Americans living in Israel,” Huckabee said. “If the Houthis want to continue doing things to Israel and they hurt an American, then it becomes our business.”
His remarks echo Trump’s own reaction earlier this week. When asked whether the US-Houthi ceasefire included Israeli targets, the president replied, “I’ll discuss that if something happens.”
The Houthi rebels have repeatedly declared they will continue attacking Israel, regardless of their agreement with Washington. On Wednesday, they launched a drone that Israel says it intercepted. The Iran-backed group has targeted Israeli cities and Red Sea shipping routes since November 2023 in what it describes as solidarity with Gaza.
