U.S. readers: Tell Congress to stop Zionists from stealing Christian property
(LifeSiteNews) — Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, wrote a lengthy X post Tuesday defending Christian Zionism in response to a statement from the Christian Patriarchs of the Holy Land that condemned the ideology, saying it’s “hard” for him to understand why some Christians haven’t embraced Zionism.
In his January 20 post, the former governor of Arkansas expressed his belief that the Christian leaders who had condemned “Christian Zionism” a few days earlier do not speak for all the world’s Christians. He further emphasized that it’s tough for him to understand why anyone who calls themselves a Christian would not also be a Zionist, repeating the idea that the nation of Israel was promised to the Jews in the Old Testament.
In a January 17 statement, the patriarchs and heads of the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches in Jerusalem condemned “Christian Zionism” as a “damaging ideology” that threatens the unity of Christians.
In response to the statement of non-evangelical churches in Israel, I issued the following. I hope you will read prayerfully.
I love my brothers and sisters in Christ from traditional, liturgical churches and respect their views, but I do not feel any sect of the Christian… pic.twitter.com/jqohEWk0xJ
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) January 20, 2026
Criticism of Holy Land patriarchs ‘speaking for Christians worldwide’
“I love my brothers and sisters in Christ from traditional, liturgical churches and respect their views, but I do not feel any sect of the Christian faith should claim exclusivity in speaking for Christians worldwide or assume there is only one viewpoint regarding faith in the Holy Land,” the ambassador wrote.
As the patriarchs noted in their statement, they do in fact have the authority to speak for Christians worldwide.
“Holy Scripture teaches us that ‘we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another’ (Romans 12:5),” the patriarchs wrote. “To claim authority outside the communion of the Church is to wound the unity of the faithful and burden the pastoral mission entrusted to the historic churches in the very land where our Lord lived, taught, suffered, and rose from the dead.”
“The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches further note with concern that these individuals have been welcomed at official levels both locally and internationally. Such actions constitute interference in the internal life of the churches and disregard the pastoral responsibility vested in the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem,” they added.
READ: Holy Land patriarchs denounce ‘Christian Zionism’ as a ‘damaging ideology’
Here, the Church leaders may have been referring to a December event organized by Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where a delegation of 1,000 Protestant pastors from the U.S. met in Jerusalem. The goal of the event, during which Huckabee gave a speech, was to strengthen the “Judeo-Christian alliance” and the U.S.-Israel alliance in the face of the growing opposition to Zionism in the United States and other Western nations.
The Holy Land patriarchs continued, “The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem reiterate that they alone represent the Churches and their flock in matters pertaining to Christian religious, communal, and pastoral life in the Holy Land.”
‘Hard to understand’ why there aren’t more ‘Christian Zionists’
Huckabee underscored that as an evangelical Christian, he firmly believes that God cannot break his covenant with the Jews and therefore, according to the ambassador, the Jewish people have a biblical right to the modern nation of Israel.
“Personally, I’m part of a global and growing evangelical tradition that believes the authority of Scripture and the faithfulness of God in keeping His covenants. That includes His covenant with Abraham and the Jewish people. My Christian faith is built on the foundation of Judaism and without it, Christianity would not exist,” he said.
“The thought that God is even capable of breaking a covenant is anathema to those of us who embrace Holy Scripture as the authority of the church. If God can or would break His covenant with the Jews, then what hope would Christians have that He would keep His covenant with us?” he added.
The ambassador then directly attacked the Patriarchs and the many Christians who have denounced the ideology of “Christian Zionism.”
“Labels such as ‘Christian Zionism’ are too often used in a pejorative manner to disparage free-church believers, of which there are millions across the planet. Christians are followers of Christ, and a Zionist simply accepts that the Jewish people have a right to live in their ancient, indigenous, and Biblical homeland,” Huckabee said.
WATCH: Michael Knowles explains why he’s not a ‘Christian Zionist’
“It’s hard for me to understand why everyone who takes on the moniker ‘Christian’ would not also be a Zionist. It’s not a commitment to a particular government or government policy, but to the Biblical revelation as given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” he added.
As previously noted by LifeSite’s Patrick Delaney, several Scripture passages prove that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the old covenant and His church, the Catholic Church, is the true Israel. Therefore, the Jewish people do not have a biblical right to possess the nation of Israel, as Christian Zionists claim.
READ: Two simple Scripture passages demonstrate that the Church is the true Israel
One notable passage is from chapter three of Galatians, in which St. Paul affirms that it is Christians who are the true children of Abraham by faith in Jesus Christ and heirs to the promises given to him. And thus, the heirs to these promises and blessings are those who are in Christ and are hence members of the People of God, the true Israel which is reconstituted in Jesus Christ and His New Covenant.
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ … If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Gal 3:16, 29).
Another significant passage is in Acts 3, where St. Peter states that the Jews who do not accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah are cut off from the true Israel.
For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people’ (vs. 22-23).
Backlash to the ambassador’s post
Huckabee’s response to the patriarchs quickly drew intense backlash from several prominent Christian thinkers and X users. Joshua Charles, a Catholic writer and podcast host, noted that Our Lord established a Church, not sects, to speak for all Christians worldwide. Shane Schaetzel asked Huckabee to consider that Evangelicals, who tend to be “Christian Zionists,” make up less than 10% of the Holy Land’s Christian population.
Christ didn’t establish sects. He established a Church, with authority to bind and loose on earth with heaven’s authority, i.e. speak for all Christians worldwide.
— Joshua Charles🇻🇦 (@JoshuaTCharles) January 21, 2026
Ambassador Huckabee, please consider this. Who were the first Christians in the Holy Land, and which Christians have occupied the Holy Land since the first century? Was it Evangelical, Nondenominational Protestants? I don’t think so. That’s not to say that those Christians don’t…
— Shane Schaetzel †☧ (@ShaneSchaetzel) January 21, 2026
Another X user, Lysander, reminded the ambassador that he is supposed to be working for the United States and not Israel.
You work for America. Delete this and get back to work.
— Lysander (@UnderCoercion) January 22, 2026
U.S. readers: Tell Congress to stop Zionists from stealing Christian property
