Category: Ambassador

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee Appointed As U.S. Ambassador To Israel

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 25: Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be ambassador to Israel, testifies during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Huckabee, the former governor and presidential candidate, answered questions on Israel and its campaign against Hamas. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be ambassador to Israel, testifies during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Huckabee, a former governor and presidential candidate, answered questions on Israel and its campaign against Hamas. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

OAN Staff James Meyers
2:48 PM – Wednesday, April 9, 2025

The Senate on Wednesday announced that former Arkansas GOP Governor Mike Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist pastor, will be President Donald Trump’s U.S. ambassador to Israel.

In a 53-46 vote, the Senate confirmed Huckabee, with Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) being the only Democrat to vote in favor of the nomination. No Republicans opposed Huckabee’s nomination.

Huckabee has been a known vocal supporter of Israel throughout his time in politics, as well as a defender of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Meanwhile, left-wing critics of Huckabee claim that he is “too strong” of a supporter of Israel to represent the United States. Additionally, Senate Democrats are reportedly alarmed by Huckabee’s nomination due to his vocal defense of his view that Israel has the right to annex the West Bank and Gaza Strip — which they fear “could jeopardize the possibility of a two-state solution” to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

On the other hand, supporters of the former governor argue that Huckabee is a great choice for Israel’s U.S. ambassador since he is extremely familiar with Israel and well-versed in the nation’s culture — as he has visited the Jewish State over 100 times.

Trump has not explicitly stated whether or not he supports Israeli annexation, saying earlier this year that he would make a decision within a few weeks. Trump has repeatedly suggested that the U.S. should take over and even “own” the Gaza Strip — while rebuilding the war-torn area.

With the recent confirmation, Huckabee’s upcoming arrival in Israel coincides with one of the most turbulent periods, as both sides have reached an impasse in efforts to reinstate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. This visit also comes at a critical moment — as Israel seeks to negotiate the release of hostages taken during Hamas’ October 7th terrorist attack.

Last month, the Jewish State restarted military operations against the Islamist terrorist group, with both sides accusing the other of violating the ceasefire agreements.

Nonetheless, the presence of a U.S. ambassador in Israel will be regarded as a pivotal step, especially as Trump prepares to take on high-stakes negotiations with Iran on Saturday regarding its nuclear program.

Senator James E. Risch (R-Idaho), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke in favor of Huckabee’s confirmation on Friday.

“I have no doubt Gov. Huckabee is that person, and he will work alongside President Trump, Secretary of [State Marco] Rubio, and our friends in Israel to bring peace to a turbulent region and ensure both American and Israeli hostages are brought home from the clutches of Hamas,” he said.

Israel is considered the United States’ closest ally and largest single trading partner. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has visited Trump at the White House twice since he took back the presidency.

Trump Requests Rep. Stefanik To Withdraw Her Nomination To Serve As UN Ambassador

NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND - MARCH 04: U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Chair of the House Republican Conference, speaks during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center on March 4, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland. Conservatives gathered at the four-day annual conference to discuss the Republican agenda. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Abril Elfi
12:38 PM – Thursday, March 27, 2025

President Donald Trump has asked New York GOP Representative Elise Stefanik to withdraw her nomination to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (UN).

The White House confirmed a report that had been circulating in the media earlier in the day when it informed Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair James E. Risch (R-Idaho) on Thursday afternoon that it was withdrawing Stefanik’s nomination.

On Thursday, Trump made the announcement on Truth Social — citing the House GOP’s razor-thin majority.

“I have asked Elise, as one of my biggest Allies, to remain in Congress to help me deliver Historic Tax Cuts, Great Jobs, Record Economic Growth, a Secure Border, Energy Dominance, Peace Through Strength, and much more so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump wrote.

“With a very tight majority, I don’t want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise’s seat. The people love Elise and, with her, we have nothing to worry about come Election Day. There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations,” he said.

Additionally, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.))) vaguely said that Trump’s decision to withdraw her nomination had “something to do with the political realities these days” when asked about it.

Although the 45th and 47th president did not announce who he would nominate to take over the slot, he did emphasize that Stefanik will continue to serve in Congress and that she will rejoin the House Leadership team.

“Therefore, Elise will stay in Congress, rejoin the House Leadership Team, and continue to fight for our amazing American People,” Trump said.

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Trump Appoints Elise Stefanik As U.S. Ambassador To The UN

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 16: House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) speaks on stage on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his party's presidential nomination. The RNC takes place from July 15-18. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) speaks on stage on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

OAN Staff James Meyers
8:22 AM – Monday, November 11, 2024

President-elect Donald Trump confirms he will nominate pro-Israel New York Representative Elise Stefanik to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/trump-appoints-elise-stefanik-as-u-s-ambassador-to-the-un/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

“I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as US Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump, says in a statement to The New York Post.

Stefanik has confirmed that she will accept the offer from the 47th president.

“I am truly honored to earn President Trump’s nomination to serve in his Cabinet as US Ambassador to the United Nations,” Stefanik told The Post.

“During my conversation with President Trump, I shared how deeply humbled I am to accept his nomination and that I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate.”

“President Trump’s historic landslide election has given hope to the American people and is a reminder that brighter days are ahead — both at home and abroad,” she told The Post.

“America continues to be the beacon of the world, but we expect and must demand that our friends and allies be strong partners in the peace we seek.”

Meanwhile, Stefanik will come on as the UN has faced heavy criticism from conservatives, including the fact that the world’s dictatorships, such as China and Cuba serve as reps on the Human Rights Council, while the General Assembly routinely passes measures critical of Israel by lopsided margins.

Additionally, the UN has faced heavy fire for its response to the Israel-Hamas war and has faced accusations that members of its organizations actively took part in Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel.

During Trump’s first term, he ordered the U.S. to withdraw from the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) and end the annual $450 million U.S. contribution over the WHO failing to effectively investigate the origins in China over the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, President Joe Biden later rejoined the organization during his administration.

Trump previously announced that his campaign chairwoman Susie Wiles will be his White House chief of staff, but has not yet announced any other members of his Cabinet or other senior White House roles.

“The work ahead is immense as we see antisemitism skyrocketing coupled with four years of catastrophically weak U.S. leadership that significantly weakened our national security and diminished our standing in the eyes of both allies and adversaries,” Stefanik said in her statement.

“I stand ready to advance President Donald J. Trump’s restoration of America First peace through strength leadership on the world stage on Day One at the United Nations. “

With Stefanik leaving the House now, Governor Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) by law must call a special election within 10 days of the seat’s vacancy to be held within another 70-80 days. The Republican nominee in that election will be chosen by county GOP chairs rather than by a primary.

Stefanik was also re-elected Tuesday receiving over 63% of the vote.

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Trump names Stefanik UN ambassador

Rep. Elise Stefanik appointed US Ambassador to the United Nations

Danielle Wallace
By Danielle Wallace Fox News
Published November | Updated November

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., explains why she believes policies under Trump’s administration will result in more support from women voters and calls out Mark Cuban for his statements about women close to Trump.

President-elect Trump has named Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., as the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Fox News has confirmed.

First reported by the New York Post, the appointment was one of the first announced in the early days of Trump's transition period.

"I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter," Trump said in a statement to the Post.

Stefanik, chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, provided a statement of her own to the outlet.

"I am truly honored to earn President Trump's nomination to serve in his Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations," Stefanik told the Post. "During my conversation with President Trump, I shared how deeply humbled I am to accept his nomination and that I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate. "President Trump’s historic landslide election has given hope to the American people and is a reminder that brighter days are ahead — both at home and abroad."

STEFANIK SLAMS DEMOCRATS' 'SCARE TACTICS' ON TRUMP'S RECORD WITH WOMEN ON IVF, ABORTION

Stefanik speaks at MSG Trump rally

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., speaks during a campaign rally for former President Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York on Oct. 27, 2024.  (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Stefanik, the fourth-highest ranking House Republican, is a frequent figure on television where she advocates for the GOP side on a number of issues, including Israel and what she refers to as the "Biden Crime Family." 

By contrast, the Biden-Harris administration's U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, does not seek much press coverage.

IRAN'S CYBER STRIKE ON TRUMP CAMPAIGN: STEFANIK SLAMS FBI FOR 'ELECTION INTERFERENCE' TO AID DEMS

Stefanik sits by Trump at the RNC

Trump, running mate Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., during the second day of the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Stefanik, who was re-elected to her sixth term in the House last week, made national headlines for grilling the presidents of Ivy League universities about the rising antisemitism on college campuses in the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel.

Stefanik campaigns with Trump in New Hampshire

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., joins former President Trump during a campaign rally at the Grappone Convention Center on Jan. 19, 2024 in Concord, New Hampshire.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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"The work ahead is immense as we see antisemitism skyrocketing coupled with four years of catastrophically weak U.S. leadership that significantly weakened our national security and diminished our standing in the eyes of both allies and adversaries," Stefanik added in her statement to the Post. "I stand ready to advance President Donald J. Trump’s restoration of America First peace through strength leadership on the world stage on Day One at the United Nations. "

Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on X: @danimwallace.

Israel’s Ambassador to UN: ‘Russia is deepening its ties with global forces of destabilization’

  BY 

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2024/02/israels-ambassador-to-un-russia-is-deepening-its-ties-with-global-forces-of-destabilization; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

The “axis of evil” includes Iran and North Korea, which have been described today as “bigger, bolder — and more evil.” As Israel’s Ambassador to UN Gilad Erdan points out, “Russia will be hosting a Hamas delegation in Moscow! And not for the first time!” Erdan goes on to describe the “red carpet” treatment that is being accorded to Hamas and Yemen’s Houthis. Also this week, in a Russian-North Korea arms-for-food deal, 6,700 containers of artillery was shipped to Russia by North Korea in exchange for “much-needed” food. What does North Korea have to do with the war in Israel? Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, founder of the Israel Law Center, writes in Newsweek about the North Korea-Palestinian nexus:

North Korea has been providing military and financial support to Palestinian terror groups as far back as 1966, particularly those groups that shared its socialist and communist ideologies. North Korea provided pivotal assistance—weapons, money, documents, and covert diplomatic cover—to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the inventors of hijacking, and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the terror group that perpetrated the slaughter of more than 30 children in Ma’alot, Israel, in 1974.

While Trump the Washington Post claimed that Trump idolized Putin, and John Bolton called Trump a “Putin-loving moron,” America had stature while Trump was president. China North, Saudi Arabia and North Korea are among those countries which view Biden as a joke. Iran considers Biden to be a better option to Trump, who stymied the regime with sanctions. At no time has America fallen so low on the global front as under Joe Biden . Its enemies are emboldened everywhere. Israel now faces a global gang-up which is intensifying, and it cannot depend on America as it did under Trump, despite whatever offense Trump caused with his words and personality.

“Russia deepening ties with global axis of evil, Israel charges at UN,” by Tovah Lazaroff, Jerusalem Post,  February 27, 2024:

Russia is deepening its ties with global forces of destabilization, chiefly Iran, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, told the General Assembly on Monday. Erdan’s comments came ahead of the parley Moscow is holding this week with Palestinian factions, including Hamas.

“This week, Russia will be hosting a Hamas delegation in Moscow! And not for the first time!” Erdan told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, which held a debate to mark two years to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is one of the only places outside of the Middle East where Hamas terrorists and Houthi Jihadists are given the red-carpet treatment, even after October 7,” Erdan said.

“Russia is hosting those who are responsible for intentionally murdering babies, raping women, and burning families alive,” Erdan stated. He also added that “this meeting in Moscow is a result of something more dangerous. Russia is now deepening its ties with global forces of destabilization.”

His words underscored the shift in Israeli policy regarding Moscow since the start of the war, a conflict for which Jerusalem had initially attempted to hold a neutral line and maintain strong ties with both Russia and Ukraine.

The reason for Russian-Israeli ties cooling
The growing ties between Tehran and Moscow come as Iran has increased its military activity against Israel through attacks by its proxy groups: Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. It has cooled Russian-Israeli ties while strengthening those with Ukraine.

Erdan told the UNGA that “It is no secret that Hamas is merely one tentacle of Iran’s terror armies. This horde of death and destruction includes Hezbollah, the Houthis, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terror organizations. They are funded, trained, armed, and directed by Iran.”…