💧News of the Crisis💧July 21, 2025
In a notable departure from his traditionally unwavering pro-Israel stance, (former Arkansas Governor and evangelical leader) Ambassador Mike Huckabee has for the first time publicly condemned acts of violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. While careful not to frame the attacks as systemic, Huckabee's remarks reflect a broader shift among American conservatives, many of whom are reassessing U.S. policy toward Israel amid its deepening regional entanglements.
Huckabee, a longtime proponent of Israeli annexation and a frequent visitor to the region, made the comments during a visit to the Christian village of Taybeh, where residents have recently faced threats and property damage from extremist settler groups. “People need to pay a price for doing something that destroys that which belongs, not just to other people, but that which belongs to God. That is a sacrilege,” he said, calling for full prosecution of those responsible. As fate would have it, Taybeh is not without blemishes in its own past - its residents include the family of Sirhan Sirhan, the Palestinian assassin of Bobby Kennedy, who murdered the presidential candidate over his support for Israel after the Six Day War.
Adding to his rebuke, Huckabee also criticized the Israeli government over new restrictions affecting American evangelical tourists, claiming that delays in visa approvals are sending a damaging message. “We will certainly insist on changes, or I will have no choice but to speak plainly: Israel is no longer welcoming Christian groups,” he warned.
His comments come as the American right grows increasingly critical of Israel, especially following U.S. military involvement in Israel’s recent conflict with Iran—an intervention many conservatives view as a betrayal of Donald Trump’s non-interventionist promises.
Speaking of extremist settlers, Minister Orit Strock, heading Israel's National Missions and Settlements portfolio (who unabashedly supports Jewish resettlement in Gaza), urged the IDF to intensify its operations across the entire Gaza Strip—including areas known to hold hostages. While acknowledging the danger this poses to their safety, she insisted such zones cannot remain untouched, claiming they endanger border communities and all of southern Israel. According to Strock, Hamas militants in these enclaves continue launching attacks and attempting abductions, making military control essential.
She emphasized that while efforts must be made to avoid harming hostages, it would be wrong to avoid military engagement simply because they are held there. Strock stated, “I cannot make calculations about whether this person’s life is more important than that person’s life,” underscoring her prioritization of military objectives over individual safety concerns.
Enav Zangauker (whose son Matan is still in captivity, with witnesses claiming his Multiple Sclerosis has worsened so that he must receive immediate treatment), tweeted in reply to the minister: “…And I pray to the Creator of the Universe to have mercy on your dark soul, Death Eater. Even He will not forgive you”.
The Hostages Families Forum also condemned Strock’s stance as reckless and deeply unethical, accusing her of “sacrificing the hostages” and undermining the founding values of Israel in pursuit of what it called “an endless, aimless, irrational war.”
And now, dear readers, an exercise in reading comprehension. Yesterday (Sunday) the Prime Minister’s office released the following announcement:
“After feeling unwell overnight, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was examined at his home by Professor Alon Hershko, Head of the Internal Medicine Department at Hadassah Ein Kerem. It was determined that he is suffering from an intestinal inflammation caused by eating spoiled food.
“Following additional tests, the Prime Minister's condition was assessed as good, and he is currently receiving intravenous fluids to treat dehydration that accompanied the illness.
“In accordance with his doctors' instructions, the Prime Minister will rest at home for the next three days and will manage state affairs from there”.
This begs the following questions:
Is it coincidental that the “next three days” perscribed included Netanyahu’s two scheduled testimonies in his trial prior to the judiciary’s summer break?
How is it that the Premier was the only one who ate spoiled food, while no-one else in his household suffered from this mishap?
Why did the Head of Internal Medicine at Hadassah perform a house call on Saturday, when there is a private physician (a pediatrician by training, mind you) whom we bankroll?
Send your responses via carrier pigeons.