RismadarVoice Reporters
September 26, 2026
United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has attributed increasingly unfavourable views of Israel among Americans partly to what he described as “biblical illiteracy,” alongside disinformation and hostility towards religious beliefs.
Huckabee made the remarks during an interview with NewsNation while responding to questions about changing American public opinion towards Israel.
The ambassador identified three factors he believes are contributing to the shift: foreign propaganda and disinformation, hostility towards people who believe in God and the Bible, and limited knowledge of biblical teachings.
“You add all that together, I guess you just want to be mad at Israel and blame them for everything,” Huckabee said.
He also rejected allegations that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza or operated an apartheid system, describing the accusations as false.
Huckabee maintained that Americans would view Israel more favourably if they examined what he described as “the truth.”
His remarks come amid sustained debate in the United States over Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory.
An April Pew Research Centre survey found that 60 per cent of American adults held an unfavourable view of Israel. Attitudes differed significantly among demographic and religious groups, with 65 per cent of white evangelical Protestants expressing a favourable view.
A separate AP-NORC survey conducted in July found differing opinions among Americans over whether Israel’s actions in Gaza amounted to genocide, while a substantial proportion of respondents said they lacked sufficient information to conclude.
The shift in public opinion has become part of a broader political debate in the United States, with disagreements over Israel increasingly visible among politicians and voters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also faced unfavourable assessments among sections of the American public. The April Pew survey found that more than half of Americans expressed little or no confidence in Netanyahu to do the right thing regarding world affairs.
The debate has also involved New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a prominent critic of the Israeli government.
Netanyahu recently criticised Mamdani during an address to the United Nations General Assembly, claiming that Jewish residents of New York had expressed concerns about their safety.
Mamdani has repeatedly said he opposes antisemitism and other forms of hatred and bigotry.
He had previously said he would seek to enforce an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu if the Israeli leader visited New York, although he later acknowledged limitations on the city’s legal authority to carry out such an action.
