Huckabee Condemns Hamas
U.S. Envoy Explodes at Europe: ‘Anything Less Than Toppling Hamas Is Ridiculous'
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee criticizes European calls for ending Israel-Hamas war, emphasizing that complete removal of Hamas from power is the only acceptable outcome.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee sharply rebuked several European governments on Thursday, saying their calls for Israel to “end the war” with Hamas are misplaced and that pressure should instead be directed at the terrorist group. Huckabee made the remarks on the third day of an international counterterrorism summit at Reichman University, where senior policymakers and security officials gathered to discuss the region’s accelerating conflicts.
“Some accuse Israel of prolonging this war,” Huckabee said, according to attendees. “But Israel did not start the war, it was brutally attacked. The only rational objective is to remove Hamas from power in Gaza. Anything less is ridiculous.”
He challenged European leaders, including Britain and France, who, he said, have taken an “illogical” stance by urging Israel to stop fighting rather than calling for Hamas to cease its actions.
Addressing the long shadow of Islamist terror and its implications for the West, Huckabee invoked the September 11 attacks as a turning point for U.S. policy and framed the current conflict as part of a broader, enduring hostility toward the Jewish people.
“You have fought terrorism for 4,000 years, this is not new,” he said, drawing on a historical narrative that, he argued, underpins the urgency of the allied response.
Huckabee also warned that Iran’s regional ambitions, which he described as targeting “the entire Western world,” justified broader international involvement. He referenced recent clashes between Israel and Iran-aligned forces as evidence that the confrontation extends beyond a bilateral dispute and touches core Western interests and values.
Huckabee’s forceful comments add to mounting diplomatic friction between Israel’s staunchest supporters and parts of Europe pushing for an expedited ceasefire and humanitarian corridors in Gaza.