In a fiery speech delivered in Tel Aviv, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee asserted that the relationship between Israel and the United States remains rock-solid and cannot be torn apart.
Addressing a room filled with prominent figures from Israel’s financial sector, Huckabee dismissed any suggestion that the bond between the two nations is weakening. Pointing to Iran as the central source of instability in the region, he reiterated America’s unwavering backing of Israel.
“To anyone who says that the paths of Israel and the US are going their separate ways, that there is a conflict between them or that they are moving away from each other, I say: that is not what is happening. The only thing that was separated in this part of the world was the Red Sea, when Moses parted it in two to allow the Israelites to pass. I came here today in the name of friendship and gratitude,” Huckabee said during a celebration held in his honor by the Ministry of Finance and the Israel Securities Authority on Tuesday night, which drew key leaders from Israel’s economy.
He added a heartfelt prayer, hoping that “God will cross the Red Sea again and allow the kidnapped to return home.”
“I realize that as I stand here tonight there are enemies poised to do any and everything they can to destroy you, to take you down and to take your future and your hope away. But they won’t be able to do it. On all sides, whether it’s Hamas, Hezbollah or the Houthis. I’ve said several times this week, it doesn’t matter who brings the plate of hate to Israel to try to destroy you. We know where the kitchen is. The kitchen from which all of these really deadly disease dishes come from is from Iran and you’re standing up against this evil monster, who for 46 years has said they’re going to destroy you. But then they say once they’re finished with you, they come after us. You’re the appetizer, we’re the entrée. Americans need to understand that the reason it matters what you do is because how you handle this threat is how we will ultimately have to handle this threat. Your enemies are our enemies and I hope it’s always true that your friends are our friends. I say this from the bottom of my heart, America is your friend. We’re your partner. We will stand with you. We must. We can’t afford to pay the alimony of the divorce. So I hope you like us; you’re stuck with us and I hope Americans will always love you because we feel like we’re stuck with you too. God bless you.”
Huckabee stressed that the alliance between the two countries goes beyond mere convenience or transactional cooperation. “We (the US and Israel) are partners, we are not just stakeholders cooperating to advance their own selfish interests. Israel is not just our business partner, we also benefit from Israel’s economic strength.” He praised Israel’s economic resilience during wartime, and expressed admiration for its stability amid global chaos.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich echoed Huckabee’s remarks and highlighted the importance of the growing bond between the two nations. “We believe that the coming period will be a new high in relations between Israel and the US: an economic partnership that will bring more investments and more cooperation, regional moves that will position Israel as a strategic center connecting the Middle East, Europe and Asia, and an ideological infrastructure of a connection between tradition and innovation and freedom.”
Smotrich praised Huckabee not only for his diplomatic role but for his personal devotion to Israel. He described him as “not just an ambassador of a country but a true friend.”
Reflecting on Israel’s financial performance, Smotrich declared, “The Israeli economy has stood a huge test and emerged from it stronger than ever. The Israeli shekel is stronger today than on the eve of the war. This is not just the result of market trends – it is an international expression of confidence in the strength of Israeli society, in our political stability, and in the economic policy we are leading. The Israeli stock exchange has provided some of the highest returns in the world, thus proving that despite the war – the future here is bright. Investors understand better than politicians and commentators and they believe in Israel and the fast future that awaits it. And they are right.”
Seffy Zinger, Chairman of the Israel Securities Authority, pointed to Israel’s robust ties with global financial systems as a key factor in its economic success. “One of the main factors for the strength of the Israeli capital market is its deep integration with global markets, and especially with the American capital market. The financial ties between us are deep and strong.”
Zinger shared that he had recently spoken with investors in the United States who were struck by Israel’s economic achievements. “What particularly caught their attention was the performance of the Israeli stock exchange compared to global markets. The Tel Aviv-125 index yielded a return of almost 30% in 2024, almost as much as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices. This is an especially impressive achievement, given the fact that it took place during the most difficult and complex war in Israel’s history. I told those investors: Don’t invest in Israel just out of love. Invest in it because it’s a good investment.”
Along with Smotrich and Zinger, the gathering was attended by a host of Israel’s top economic figures, including Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Amir Yaron, Finance Ministry Director General Ilan Rom, Tel Aviv Stock Exchange CEO Itai Ben Ze’ev, Competition Authority Director Michal Cohen, Capital Market Authority head Amit Gal, Bank Leumi CEO Hanan Friedman, Phoenix Insurance CEO Eyal Ben Simon, investor Zvi Stepak, BlackRock Israel CEO Anat Levin, venture capitalist Michael Eisenberg of the Aleph Fund, businessman Gideon Tadmor, Bank of Jerusalem CEO Yair Kaplan, and former government minister and entrepreneur Yizhar Shai, whose son Yaron was killed on October 7. Shai is now leading an initiative to create 1,500 startups in memory of the victims of that day and the subsequent Swords of Iron War.
Smotrich shared that he had just come from a funeral at Mount Herzl, where Yosef Yehuda Chirak, a soldier killed the previous day in Gaza, was laid to rest. He noted that just two days prior, he and Huckabee had met with Yehuda Eliyahu, head of the Settlement Directorate in the Defense Ministry—and Chirak’s father-in-law.
{Matzav.com}