Politics1 min read

Mike Huckabee criticised for distinguishing between Israelis and 'Arabs' in elections

By · Via Middle East Eye · Published by Everything Blog

In short

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee faced criticism after appearing to distinguish between Israelis and "Arabs" in elections. Huckabee praised the Israeli electoral system, stating that "Arabs vote same as Israelis." However, this comment was interpreted as implying Palestinian citizens of Israel are not considered Israeli.

Key points

  • Palestinians in Israel have the right to vote in Israeli elections.: Palestinians in Israel have the right to vote in Israeli elections.
  • This sparked debate about the inclusivity of Israeli elections.: This sparked debate about the inclusivity of Israeli elections.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

This is an entry from: Live: Israelis head to the polls as Netanyahu fights for political life

Mike Huckabee criticised for distinguishing between Israelis and 'Arabs' in elections

27 October 2026 12:38 GMT

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee faced criticism on Tuesday after he appeared to imply Palestinian citizens of Israel were not Israeli.

In a post, Huckabee praised the Israeli electoral system because, among other reasons, "Arabs vote same as Israelis."

Today is election day in Israel, which is a national holiday. All voting is in person, ID required. No mail-in or absentee ballots. Arabs vote same as Israelis. Contentious process, but it's a democracy-not many of those in this region!

— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) October 27, 2026

Israelis on X were quick to point out that the "Arab" voters in Israel were also Israeli citizens.

Palestinian citizens of Israel, unlike the majority of Palestinians, have the right to vote in Israeli elections.

Original source: www.middleeasteye.net

Politics