US Ambassador Huckabee Denies Pressuring Haredi Lawmakers Over Israeli Coalition Crisis
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Tuesday denied media reports that he had intervened in Israeli politics by urging ultra-Orthodox lawmakers to keep Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition intact. A report on Israel’s Channel 13 News alleged that Huckabee met last week with senior Haredi figures and warned that government instability could complicate US support for Israel, especially on issues like Iran.
Huckabee confirmed that he meets with a broad range of Israeli leaders, including United Torah Judaism Minister Meir Porush and Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch. However, he said such meetings are private and not intended to influence political outcomes. “There has been no attempt to influence Haredi Knesset members regarding a decision to dissolve the government,” Huckabee wrote on X. “It is not the role of the United States, nor of its Ambassador, to try and choose the government of Israel.”
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He acknowledged telling Israeli officials that a collapsed government might be perceived in the US as a sign of instability, given the ongoing war, Houthi missile threats, and the nuclear threat from Iran. But he insisted, “It was our responsibility to work with the government that Israelis chose.”
Netanyahu is under pressure from ultra-Orthodox coalition partners demanding legislation to exempt yeshiva students from mandatory military service. United Torah Judaism and Shas have threatened to leave the coalition if the bill is not passed, prompting a potential preliminary vote to dissolve the Knesset.
The ambassador added, “Israel needs both scholars and soldiers, but how they determine the balance is not something I could or would weigh in on.”
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid initially expressed concern about the report but later thanked Huckabee for clarifying his position, calling him “a great friend of Israel.”
