According to journalist Ariel Kahana, Huckabee shared comments made by Mike Zell, chairman of the Republican Party in Israel, and wrote, “I couldn’t have said it better myself,” signaling agreement with the analysis.

In the statement cited by Huckabee, Zell argued that President Donald Trump has not altered his commitment to Israel despite concerns surrounding the recent U.S.-Iran understandings.

According to Zell, Trump “has not changed course or abandoned Israel,” and his support for the Jewish state and the Jewish people remains “unquestionable.”

Zell contended that the president’s decisions are being driven primarily by domestic political considerations, particularly the desire to secure Republican victories in the November midterm elections and prevent Democrats from regaining control of Congress.

He argued that Trump believes a Democratic-controlled Congress would spend the remainder of his term attempting to undermine his presidency through investigations, impeachment efforts, and obstruction of both foreign and domestic policy initiatives.

According to Zell’s analysis, American voters are generally more concerned with economic issues such as inflation, energy prices, food costs, and stock-market performance than with security developments in the Middle East.

For that reason, Zell suggested, Trump is seeking to pause the conflict with Iran for the time being in order to lower inflation, stabilize financial markets, and strengthen the economy heading into the election season. He added that this is how the president currently views America’s interests and noted that he personally agrees with that assessment.

Addressing the agreement itself, Zell argued that it should not be viewed as a final settlement but rather as an arrangement designed to facilitate negotiations while maintaining a ceasefire during the current phase.

He maintained that Trump still holds “all the cards” and retains the ability to determine the extent of future American pressure on Iran and its regional proxies.

From Israel’s perspective, Zell said the most important aspect of the arrangement is that Israel is not formally a party to the agreement. In his view, that leaves Israel free to take whatever steps it deems necessary to defend its interests in Lebanon, Syria, and even against Iran itself, whether by prior coordination or as circumstances develop.

At the same time, Zell made clear that he is not entirely satisfied with either the contents of the agreement or some of the rhetoric used by White House officials in defending it.

According to Zell, “this is politics in an election year,” but he stressed that, in his view, the fundamental relationship between Israel and the United States remains strong and unbreakable.

Huckabee’s public embrace of Zell’s analysis comes at a particularly sensitive moment in U.S.-Israel relations. The Trump administration’s agreement with Iran has generated significant criticism within Israel, while reports have emerged that American officials have warned Israeli leaders against publicly attacking the president over the issue.

At the same time, debate over the Iran understandings has not been limited to Israel. Reports from Washington indicate that some Republicans have also expressed reservations about the arrangement, even as White House officials continue presenting it as a policy designed first and foremost to advance American national interests.

{Matzav.com}