Huckabee expressed concern that Christian evangelical groups were being investigated by the Interior Ministry and had not received their visas.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee was uncharacteristically critical of Israel over alleged visa difficulties faced by Christian groups traveling to Israel and warned that he would report Israel as a country unfriendly to Christians and would use his influence to limit visa access to Israelis visiting the US if the situation is not remedied.
Huckabee, who usually speaks in praise of Israel and has called for the annexation of Judea and Samaria, sent a harsh letter to Israeli interior minister Moshe Arbel decrying the alleged denial of visas to evangelical groups.
On May 27, Huckabee met with Arbel to discuss the difficulties Christian Zionists face when visiting Israel.
“It is with great distress that I express to you my profound disappointment [that the] meeting held in your office has not resulted in what I had hoped to be [the start] of a resolution of the issue of routine granting of visas for Christian organizations,” Huckabee wrote in the letter whose contents were revealed in a Channel 12 broadcast.
Huckabee expressed concern that Christian evannelical groups with longstanding ties to Israel, the Baptist Conference in Israel, and the Christian Missionary Alliance, were being investigated by the Interior Ministry.
Huckabee complained that the organizations were required to complete lengthy questionnaires and had still not received their visas.
“It would be very unfortunate if our embassy were forced to publicly announce throughout the United States that the State of Israel does not welcome Christian organizations and their representatives, and instead engages in harassment and negative treatment of them. We are also obligated to warn Christians in America that their generous donations are being met with hostility, and that tourists should reconsider their travels,” Huckabee wrote.
The ambassador sent copies of the letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.
Huckabee also warned that he would tell US Christian donors that their contributions were not being received graciously, and that potential tourists should reconsider visiting Israel unless the issue is resolved.
“Unfortunately, if the Israeli government continues to cause bureaucratic harassment, I will have no choice but to instruct our consular department to explore the possibility of reciprocal treatment of Israeli citizens applying for visas to the United States. This is certainly not the relationship that the State of Israel wants to have with its best partner and friend on Earth,” Huckabee wrote.
Arbel responded that he was “particularly surprised” by Huckabee’s letter and “Every request that was personally brought to the attention of my office has been addressed within an exceptionally short time frame,” Arbel insisted.
The minister added that the problems faced by the two Christian organizations deviate from the norm and are no reflection on the “constructive relationship we have established.”
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