Mike Huckabee, Trump’s pick to be Israel ambassador, will face senators as war in Gaza restarts

Mike Huckabee, Trump’s pick to be Israel ambassador, will face senators as war in Gaza restarts
President Donald Trump's nominee to be ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will face a confirmation hearing Tuesday on Capitol Hill as US and Arab mediators struggle to get a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas back on track. (AP/File)
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Updated 25 March 2025
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Mike Huckabee, Trump’s pick to be Israel ambassador, will face senators as war in Gaza restarts

Mike Huckabee, Trump’s pick to be Israel ambassador, will face senators as war in Gaza restarts
  • If Huckabee, a Republican, is confirmed by the Senate, his posting will likely complicate an already unstable situation in the Middle East
  • He has spoken favorably in the past about Israel’s right to annex the West Bank and incorporate its Palestinian population into Israel

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s nominee to be ambassador to Israel will face a confirmation hearing Tuesday on Capitol Hill as US and Arab mediators struggle to get a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas back on track after Israeli forces resumed the war in Gaza last week with a surprise wave of deadly airstrikes.
Trump nominated Mike Huckabee, a well-known evangelical Christian and vehement supporter of Israel, to take on the critical post in Jerusalem days after he won reelection on a campaign promise to end the now 17-month war.
If Huckabee, a Republican, is confirmed by the Senate, his posting will likely complicate an already unstable situation in the Middle East as the former governor of Arkansas has taken stances on the conflict that sharply contradict longstanding US policy in the region.
Huckabee, a one-time presidential hopeful, has spoken favorably in the past about Israel’s right to annex the West Bank and incorporate its Palestinian population into Israel. He has repeatedly backed referring to the West Bank by its biblical name of “Judea and Samaria,” a term that right-wing Israeli politicians and activists have thus far fruitlessly pushed the US to accept.
Most notably, Huckabee has long been opposed to the idea of a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinian people. In an interview last year, he went even further, saying that he doesn’t even believe in referring to the Arab descendants of people who lived in British-controlled Palestine as “Palestinians.”
“There really isn’t such a thing,” he said on the podcast show “Think Twice” with Jonathan Tobin. “It’s a term that was co-opted by Yasser Arafat in 1962,” referring to one of the early leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
During the same interview, Huckabee described himself as an “unapologetic, unreformed Zionist.”
As the situation in Gaza has deteriorated with the recent collapse of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release deal, Israeli officials have begun to talk more seriously about re-occupation of the territory, something to which the Biden administration had been adamantly opposed.
Trump has made his own proposals about a potential US takeover of Gaza, which have attracted attention as well as strong criticism from Arab nations and others.
Huckabee will likely be asked about all of these points in addition to ongoing Israeli military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon and persistent threats to the country from Iran and Iranian-backed proxy groups, like the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
In remarks prepared for his testimony, obtained by The Associated Press, Huckabee does not specifically mention either annexation or Trump’s Gaza plan. But he can be expected to offer qualified praise of both, given that he blasts many past Mideast policies as “failed” and speaks of the need to look “at entirely new ways” of promoting peace.
He plans to reaffirm his strong endorsement of Trump’s policies toward Israel during his first term in office, notably his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, his decision to move the US embassy to the holy city from Tel Aviv, his recognition of the Golan Heights as sovereign Israeli territory and his sealing of the Abraham Accords, in which several Arab nations normalized relations with Israel, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
“President Trump’s first term was the most consequential for Israel and the Middle East ever with his historic Abraham Accords, and finally moving our embassy to Jerusalem, the ancient, indigenous and biblical eternal capital of the Jewish people,” Huckabee’s prepared remarks say.
Trump’s pick for ambassador to Panama also testifying
Another nominee testifying before the committee on Tuesday is Kevin Cabrera, Trump’s nominee to be ambassador to Panama, a country that has bristled at the Republican president’s repeated calls for the US to retake control of the Panama Canal for national security reasons due to potential threats from China. The status of the canal was one of the top items on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s agenda when he visited Panama City on his first trip as America’s top diplomat in February.
“One of the key aspects of our cooperation is ensuring the security of the Panama Canal, a critical international waterway that facilitates global trade and economic growth,” Cabrera will say according to remarks prepared for the hearing.
He plans to praise decisions by the Panamanian government to withdraw from China’s Belt and Road Initiative and to review contracts with a China-based company that is running ports at both ends of the canal. The company has preliminarily agreed to sell its interests in the subsidiaries that run the ports, but the deal is not yet complete.


Ex-Taliban commander pleads guilty in killings of US soldiers and kidnapping of journalists

Ex-Taliban commander pleads guilty in killings of US soldiers and kidnapping of journalists
Updated 25 April 2025
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Ex-Taliban commander pleads guilty in killings of US soldiers and kidnapping of journalists

Ex-Taliban commander pleads guilty in killings of US soldiers and kidnapping of journalists
  • Hajji Najibullah entered the plea in Manhattan federal court to providing material support for acts of terrorism
  • “As a result of material support I provided to the Taliban, US soldiers were killed,” Najibullah said

NEW YORK: A former Taliban commander pleaded guilty Friday to providing weapons and other support for attacks that killed American soldiers and for key roles in the 2008 gunpoint kidnapping of a reporter for The New York Times and another journalist.
Speaking through an interpreter, Hajji Najibullah entered the plea in Manhattan federal court to providing material support for acts of terrorism and conspiring to take hostages.
The bearded Najibullah, wearing a black skull cap over his shaved head, told Judge Katherine Polk Failla that he provided material support including weapons and himself to the Taliban from 2007 to 2009, knowing that his support “would be used to attack and kill United States soldiers occupying Afghanistan.”
“As a result of material support I provided to the Taliban, US soldiers were killed,” Najibullah said.
He said his material support also included his role as a Taliban commander in Afghanistan’s Wardak Province, “where the fighters under me were prepared to, and sometimes did, conduct attacks against US soldiers and their allies using suicide bombers, automatic weapons, improvised explosive devices and rocket propelled grenades.”
Najibullah, 49, said he also participated in the hostage taking of David Rohde “and his companions” so demands could be made for ransom and for the release of Taliban prisoners held by the US government.
“I created proof-of-life videos of David Rohde and his companions in which they were forced to convey the Taliban’s demands,” he said.
The former Times reporter and Afghan journalist Tahir Ludin were abducted when they were on their way to interview a Taliban leader.
Both men made a dramatic escape from a Taliban-controlled compound in Pakistan’s tribal areas more than seven months after their Nov. 10, 2008, kidnapping. Their driver, Asadullah Mangal, was a third kidnapping victim. He escaped a few weeks after Ludin and Rohde.
Rohde, a Pulitzer Prize winner who now works as senior executive editor for national security at NBC News, attended the plea proceeding.
An email sent to Rohde seeking comment said he was out of the office until Monday.
After the plea, Najibullah was led from the courtroom in shackles and handcuffs by US marshals to face an Oct. 23 sentencing. Federal sentencing guidelines, as acknowledged by a plea agreement signed by Najibullah and prosecutors, recommend a life prison sentence.


How Pope Francis touched a migrant’s heart, saying ‘we’re all the same people’

How Pope Francis touched a migrant’s heart, saying ‘we’re all the same people’
Updated 25 April 2025
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How Pope Francis touched a migrant’s heart, saying ‘we’re all the same people’

How Pope Francis touched a migrant’s heart, saying ‘we’re all the same people’
  • “In the eyes of Pope Francis, we are not migrants, we’re all the same people,” not Filipino or Indian or Asian, said Abano
  • Francis, himself the son of Italian immigrants in Argentina, placed the plight of migrants and refugees at the heart of his moral agenda

VATICAN CITY: Diane Karla Abano, a Filipino migrant living in Rome, has vivid memories of the day that Pope Francis touched her heart and made her feel at home, kissing her two young daughters during an audience in St. Peter’s Square in May, 2018.
“The moment that I reached out to the pope and saw his smile, I don’t know, all the hurt, all the pain that I felt, it changed into happiness and hope,” Abano said, her voice breaking and tears welling in her eyes as she showed photos of the event.
“In the eyes of Pope Francis, we are not migrants, we’re all the same people,” not Filipino or Indian or Asian, said Abano.
She was back in St. Peter’s Square this week, queuing up with tens of thousands of other mourners to pay her last respects to a man whose brief blessing proved transformative.
Francis, himself the son of Italian immigrants in Argentina, placed the plight of migrants and refugees at the heart of his moral agenda during his 12-year papacy, personally intervening to assist asylum seekers and pushing governments to do much more to help.
He repeatedly spoke out for the poor and marginalized, and criticized countries that shunned migrants.
His first trip outside Rome after he was elected pope in 2013 was to the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa to pay tribute to the thousands of people who had drowned in the Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe and a better life.
In 2016 he visited the Greek island of Lesbos and brought a dozen Syrian refugees back to Italy with him on his plane. In 2021, he flew to Cyprus and again ensured safe passage for a group of 50 asylum seekers.
Among them was Grace Enjei, who had escaped fighting in her native Cameroon in 2020 and had ended up stranded in the so-called “buffer zone” that divides the island as she sought to reach territory that falls within the European Union.
Just before the trip, Vatican officials told her that the pope had learnt of the plight of those caught in a legal limbo, and had arranged for them to be relocated to Italy.
“We were so happy, like, we were singing the whole night, we were dancing, we were celebrating actually. Something so, so, so good, like it was real good, we were so happy,” said Enjei.
Days after she arrived in Italy, Enjei was unexpectedly invited to celebrate Pope Francis’ birthday.
“He was like ‘these are the people from the buffer zone?’ and we were like, ‘Yes, yes, yes’. He said, ‘Oh, you guys are welcome, I heard about your story, and I was so touched, so I needed to do something’,” Enjei said.

BRIDGES NOT WALLS
The late pope repeatedly urged political leaders to defend migrants, saying their safety should take precedence over national security concerns.
In 2015 he became the first pope to address the US Congress, where he recalled his own migrant background and said it was natural for people to cross borders in search of better opportunities for them and their families.
“Is this not what we want for our own children?” he said. “I say this to you as the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants.”
In 2016 he publicly clashed with Donald Trump — who was then campaigning for his first term in the White House — over his plans to build a wall between the United States and Mexico to keep out migrants.
“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Francis told reporters. Trump, who will attend the pope’s funeral on Saturday, said at the time that it was “disgraceful” for a religious leader to question a person’s faith.
Francis was critical again as the US president began his second term, telling American bishops in a letter in February that he disagreed with migrant deportations.
The pope faced resistance not just from politicians, but also sometimes from within his own Church with a number of parishes, especially in Eastern Europe, unhappy over his call for religious communities to take in refugees.
But speaking from her new home in Rome, Enjei stressed the positive impact that Francis had on so many people, not just herself.
“It’s not only about me. He has helped so many people, and we thank him for the fight he’s fighting for the migrants. We really appreciate and thank him so much,” she said.


Sheikh Mohammed visits UAE pavilion at Osaka-Kansai Expo

Sheikh Mohammed visits UAE pavilion at Osaka-Kansai Expo
Updated 25 April 2025
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Sheikh Mohammed visits UAE pavilion at Osaka-Kansai Expo

Sheikh Mohammed visits UAE pavilion at Osaka-Kansai Expo
  • Dubai ruler praises the pavilion’s design, which draws inspiration from the traditional ‘Al Areesh’
  • “Today I also met with our unsung heroes and our mission at Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan,” Sheikh Mohammed noted

OSAKA: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, visited the UAE Pavilion at the Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan on Friday.
The Dubai Ruler said on X, “I was delighted today to visit Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan. I was even more delighted to visit the UAE Pavilion at the Expo.”
The Dubai ruler praised the pavilion’s design, which draws inspiration from the traditional ‘Al Areesh’, — the ancient houses built from palm fronds and trunks
“I admired the design of our national pavilion, which is inspired by the palm tree and is based on a new concept of ‘Al Areesh’, the ancient houses built from palm fronds and trunks. The content of Al Areesh, however, speaks about our projects in space, our future initiatives in the health sector and our progress in sustainability projects. Our pavilion represents our commitment to the authenticity of the past and our passion for the future,” he added.
He highlighted that while the structure honors tradition, its content showcases the UAE’s ambitious projects in space, health care innovation, and sustainability initiatives.
He also extended special thanks to Sheikha Mariam bint Mohammed bin Zayed for her supervision of the pavilion’s design and development, noting her excellence in presenting the UAE’s story to the world.


“Today I also met with our unsung heroes and our mission at Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan, who welcome more than 15,000 visitors daily, conveying our story to the world and adding new friends to our country every day,” Sheikh Mohammed noted.
“Our relationship with Japan dates back to 1972. Today, our relations with all countries of the world are strong through our global participation and hosting of international events. We also share our unsung heroes, young men and women, who travel the world to convey our story, our identity, our culture, and our passion for the future,” he added.


Saudi, Indian militaries complete first army-to-army talks

Saudi, Indian militaries complete first army-to-army talks
Updated 25 April 2025
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Saudi, Indian militaries complete first army-to-army talks

Saudi, Indian militaries complete first army-to-army talks
  • Discussions in New Delhi focus on Sada Tanseeq drill, knowledge sharing
  • Agreement follows Indian PM’s visit to Kingdom earlier this week

NEW DELHI: The first army-to-army talks between the Indian Army and the Royal Saudi Land Forces have resulted in an annual defense cooperation plan that includes joint drills, expert exchanges, and operational logistics, India’s military said on Friday.
The talks took place in New Delhi on April 23-24.
“Discussions focused on the annual defense cooperation plan, covering joint exercise Sada Tanseeq, training, military education, domain expert exchanges and engagements in areas of mutual interest,” the public information arm of the Indian Ministry of Defense said on X.
“Both sides also explored avenues of collaboration in operational logistics, battlefield management systems & niche technologies to enhance interoperability and capability development,” it said.
The Sada Tanseeq exercise, the first edition of which took place in Rajasthan in January and February, aims to enhance interoperability and joint operational capabilities between the two nations’ land forces, particularly in semi-desert terrain.
The exercise involved 90 troops from both sides focusing on training for operations under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which pertains to actions regarding threats to peace, breaches of peace and acts of aggression.
The talks in Delhi followed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia and meetings with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman earlier this week.
During the visit the two sides expanded the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council to include a ministerial committee for defense cooperation and agreed to enhance defense industry collaboration.
“It is significant that the first army-to army staff level talks were held immediately after the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the crown prince, who decided to form a ministerial-level defense cooperation committee to give a push to already deepening defense and strategic relations between India and Saudi Arabia,” defense and strategic affairs expert Ranjit Kumar told Arab News.
“The two countries have already conducted joint army exercises in 2021 and 2023. Later, the navies of the two nations have also organized two rounds of joint naval exercises. These are indicative of growing proximity between the Indian and Saudi defense forces, which may lead to new strategic equations in the region.”


Magnitude 6.3 earthquake hits Ecuador coast

Magnitude 6.3 earthquake hits Ecuador coast
Updated 25 April 2025
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Magnitude 6.3 earthquake hits Ecuador coast

Magnitude 6.3 earthquake hits Ecuador coast
  • Monitors said the epicenter was near the Pacific coast of Esmeraldas

QUITO: A shallow 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the Pacific coast of Ecuador early Friday, the US Geological Survey reported, and was felt as far away as the Andean capital Quito.
AFP reporters felt the shake before 7:00 am local time (1200 GMT).
Monitors said the epicenter was near the Pacific coast of Esmeraldas, at a depth of about 35 kilometers (22 miles).
There were no immediate reports of victims or severe damage and Ecuadoran authorities said there was no tsunami risk.
Ecuador sits on one of the most geologically active zones on Earth, and the fault between the Nazca and South American plates runs along its coast.