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Why Is the Israeli Ambassador Showing Up at the Trial of Netanyahu, Mafioso-Style?
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee—and apparently now an honorary member of Netanyahu’s legal entourage—showed up in court this week to support the Israeli Prime Minister during his corruption trial. He wasn’t alone. Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Michael Herzog, also made a surprise appearance, adding a bizarre layer of official endorsement to a man facing charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
This is highly unusual, if not outright inappropriate.
Ambassadors are diplomatic representatives of their own countries, not political cheerleaders for the domestic leaders of the states they’re posted in. Their role is to maintain formal relations, not interfere in internal judicial proceedings—especially not by attending the criminal trial of the sitting head of government.
Huckabee, ever the evangelical cheerleader for Israeli hardliners, called the trial “politically motivated” and said the charges would be “laughed off in most Western countries.” That’s one way to spin multiple corruption indictments during an active war.