The Media Line: ‘We Respect Israel as a Sovereign Nation’: Huckabee’s Message as Charlie Kirk Award Debuts in Jerusalem 

‘We Respect Israel as a Sovereign Nation’: Huckabee’s Message as Charlie Kirk Award Debuts in Jerusalem 

By The Media Line Staff 

At a Jerusalem Post conference held Monday at the Friends of Zion (FOZ) Heritage Center, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee laid out Washington’s hands-off approach to any Israeli move to apply sovereignty in areas commonly called the West Bank, while FOZ founder Dr. Mike Evans used the same stage to announce a new annual Charlie Kirk Award honoring young defenders of Israel. The event, set against a backdrop of war in Gaza and regional tension, blended a forceful policy message with a high-profile tribute. 

“We respect Israel as a sovereign nation. We are not going to tell Israel what it can and cannot do any more than we would expect Israel to tell us what we can and cannot do,” Huckabee said when asked about a step critics abroad label annexation. Casting the relationship as unique in US foreign policy, he added: “We have friends as the United States, and we do have allies, but I would say we only have one real partner,” citing “levels of intelligence, military hardware and software, levels of cooperation and communication, the likes of which simply don’t exist with any other country.” 

Rejecting modern nomenclature, the envoy said that “West Bank” is “a nebulous term. … I think it is more accurate to call it Judea and Samaria.” Referencing the City of David, where American dignitaries joined Israeli officials in recent days, he said: “We dedicate it as an American heritage site, not just as an Israeli site. So I don’t know what else we could do to be more clear that we believe that Jerusalem is the undisputed and undivided capital of the Jewish state and the historic site of the State of Israel.” 

Huckabee also addressed Israel’s strike in Doha that targeted Hamas leaders. “It was solely the decision of the Israeli government to do that,” he said, declining to detail the timing of notifications between leaders. On a push at the United Nations for one-sided recognition of a Palestinian state, he stated the US position plainly: “We not only disagree, we strongly urge nations to not go there. For one, it violates Oslo. It is a stunt at the United Nations. It is not going anywhere. It is not going to create a Palestinian state.” Pressed about a two-state formula, he asked: “Show me the borders, where’s it going to be? Give me a map and tell me where it is.” He added with a quip that disagreements won’t break the partnership: “The US and Israel are not getting a divorce for one simple reason. Neither of us can afford to pay the alimony if we did.” 

Sharing the same podium, Evans announced the Charlie Kirk Award, to be presented each December in Jerusalem, recognizing young leaders who embody the late activist’s values and unwavering support for Israel. “Charlie Kirk’s battle is Israel’s battle,” Evans said. He argued that ideas seeded over decades in classrooms and online helped normalize antisemitism and apologias for terrorism, adding, “We cannot allow lies and hatred to fester—whether it is in Gaza, where children are taught that Jews have horns and tails, or in global forums where antisemitism is normalized.” Evans said the honor would spotlight those with the “courage to stand against hate,” and invited nominations from supporters worldwide. 

Huckabee endorsed the initiative. “From my many years of knowing Charlie Kirk personally, I have deep admiration for his work on behalf of Israel and for the profound love he had for the Jewish state. I am grateful to Dr. Mike Evans and the Friends of Zion for this blessed and important initiative and I look forward with anticipation to seeing who will be chosen as the first recipient of this award,” he said. 

The twin announcements came as the region navigates a fraught stretch of diplomacy and conflict. During President Donald Trump’s first term, the US recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved its embassy there in 2018; the Abraham Accords followed in 2020, opening formal ties between Israel and several Arab states. Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks, Israel’s campaign in Gaza and cross-border flare-ups have complicated efforts to expand normalization and intensified arguments over Palestinian statehood, sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, and the status of historic sites in Jerusalem. 

PHOTO – US Ambassador Mike Huckabee speaks with Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief Zvika Klein at the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem, Sept. 15, 2025. (Gabriel Colodro/The Media Line)