Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said that rather than boosting his standing back home ahead of his country’s elections, Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu is “risking his political life” by speaking before Congress because he values the future of Israel and of civilization.
“Anybody who thinks he’s doing this in advance of the Israeli elections because it’s good for him, well they haven’t been reading the Israeli press,” Mr. Huckabee said Monday evening on Fox News’ “The Kelly File.” “I was just there — I’m telling you, this is very destructive to him politically.”
Mr. Huckabee recently left his show on Fox News as he ponders a presidential run in 2016.
“He’s doing it because he realizes that a nuclear Iran is really a death sentence to Israel,” Mr. Huckabee said. “And he’s risking his political life because he values not just the future of Israel, but really the future of civilization. The Iranians are just crazy enough to use a nuclear weapon if they had one.”
Some Democrats are boycotting the speech, calling its timing — just a few weeks before the Israeli elections — inappropriate.
“I think the prime minister’s speech is an important speech certainly for members of Congress, ’cause they need to monitor this deal, but … this is important for all the American people and for all the people of the free world who value their liberty and who believe that there is a threat to it from the Iranians,” Mr. Huckabee said.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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