Mike Huckabee Criticizes Macklemore for Antisemitism Comments

<p>U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee criticized Macklemore for alleged antisemitism on Thursday, expressing support for NFL owners who are considering canceling Macklemore's performances.</p><p>In an interview with Fox News Digital, Huckabee stated that his experiences in Israel have led him to believe that many criticisms of Israel are misguided. He remarked, "It's really unfortunate that Macklemore has decided that he's going to become the voice, if you will, of Jew hatred, and I don't understand why it's entertainers like him think that it is entertaining to go and take a pro-Hamas position, a position that supports people that viciously raped, beheaded babies, burned elderly people in their wheelchairs and did unthinkable and unspeakable things to innocent civilians as Hamas came across the border from Gaza and butchered, massacred 1,200 people, and then took 251 people hostage, including many Americans."</p><p>Huckabee added, "The fact that there's a pushback against that, why not? I think most of us would say that, you know, you have free speech, but that doesn't mean that you can say anything you want anytime you want, anywhere you want without consequences. The people that own these stadiums, the people that have promoted the concerts, weren't promoting a pro-Hamas rally."</p><p>He also addressed rising antisemitism in Canada and mentioned calls for President Donald Trump's administration to take action on the issue. Huckabee referenced a letter sent to Trump by the National Association of Christian Lawmakers earlier this month, which urged the administration to facilitate easier visa access for Jewish Canadians to enter the U.S.</p><p>"I think we've all seen and, frankly, been quite alarmed at some of the extraordinary Jew hatred that is taking place in Canada, and many Canadian Jewish people are really concerned and afraid for their lives," Huckabee said. "And they fear that they might be the subject of some violent attack or a terror attack. The rhetoric in the country has gotten very, very harsh, and President Trump, as you may remember, took the letter from the NACL, and he published it and said that he would certainly look into it."</p><p>Additionally, Huckabee discussed the conflict with Iran, specifically the Iran-backed Houthi offensive against Saudi-backed government forces in Yemen. He indicated that Israel is interested in improving relations with its neighbors in the Middle East and suggested that Israel may be willing to assist Saudi forces in the conflict, although he noted that it would be up to the Saudis or Israelis to confirm any requests for assistance.</p><p><i>Fox News' Eric Mack contributed to this report.</i></p>