US Ambassador Mike Huckabee Attributes Declining American Support for Israel to 'Biblical Illiteracy' and Propaganda

US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee recently attributed the shifting public opinion in the United States regarding Israel to a widespread lack of "biblical literacy." During a Thursday interview with NewsNation, the ambassador outlined three primary factors contributing to this decline in support.

Huckabee pointed to foreign propaganda and disinformation, a general antagonism toward those who adhere to the belief "that there is a God and that he’s made up the rules for life," and a fundamental unfamiliarity with the Bible. He stated that combining these elements leads people to unfairly target Israel and hold it accountable for various issues.

Furthermore, Huckabee dismissed allegations that Israel is operating an apartheid state or committing genocide in Gaza as false, asserting that Americans would develop a more positive perspective if they examined the facts. Recent data, however, highlights a generational and demographic shift: an April Pew Research poll revealed that while white evangelicals like Huckabee maintain a 65 percent favorable view of Israel, 60 percent of the broader US adult population views the nation unfavorably. Additionally, a July AP-NORC poll showed that Americans believing Israel committed genocide in Gaza outnumbered those who disagreed, though many respondents felt uninformed on the matter.

This decreasing support has raised concerns in Israel, particularly as prominent critics secure electoral victories, such as Zohran Mamdani winning the election for New York City mayor. During his address at the United Nations General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Mamdani, citing concerns from New York Jews who reported feeling unsafe. Netanyahu himself faces declining trust in the US, with Pew surveys showing that over half of Americans distrust his handling of international affairs. Meanwhile, Mamdani has previously condemned all forms of bigotry, including anti-Semitism, and initially vowed to enforce an International Criminal Court warrant against Netanyahu during any future visits to New York City, before determining the city lacked the necessary legal authority to do so.