US Will Not Participate in France-Saudi Palestine State Conference, Ambassador Huckabee Announces

The United States will not participate in an upcoming conference in New York City organized by France and Saudi Arabia aimed at promoting international recognition of a Palestinian state, according to US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.

To understand the significance of this diplomatic decision, it’s important to recognize how international conferences like this one typically function in global diplomacy. When major powers like France and Saudi Arabia co-host events focused on Palestinian statehood, they’re attempting to build international consensus and pressure for policy changes. The United States’ decision to abstain from such gatherings signals a fundamental disagreement with both the timing and the underlying approach being proposed.

The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, holds a note given to him from President Donald Trump to be placed in the cracks of the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in the Old City of Jerusalem, Friday, April 18, 2025.  (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

“I hope they will reconsider but the U.S. will not participate. It simply will not be a part of such a ruse,” he added.

Huckabee, commenting on recently reported tensions between the two close allies, noted there may be disagreements between the Trump administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, but there should be no fear of a rupture in bilateral ties.

“I don’t think pro-Israel Americans need to be concerned that there’s some rift between the United States and Israel. Are there sometimes differences of opinion on the next steps in the war in Gaza, getting the hostages home, or maybe to avoid an all-out war with Iran? Of course, that’s natural,” he said.

“But as far as the relationship between Israel and the U.S., that is not in any way at risk, nor is it in any way splintered or fractured. It’s solid, it has to be. We don’t have a choice. It’s critically important that the United States maintains its partnership—and I use that word very deliberately—it’s not a friendship, it’s not an alliance, it’s a partnership, which means we are yoked together in our intelligence sharing, military — so many ways in which our nations are linked inseparably.”

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet at the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 4, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Ambassador Huckabee’s reasoning for the US position reflects several layers of diplomatic and strategic considerations that merit careful examination. His statement that “It’s incredibly inappropriate in the midst of a war that Israel is dealing with to go out and present something that I think increasingly Israelis are steadfast against” reveals how current military conflicts influence diplomatic timing and priorities.

The reference to October 7th changing circumstances provides crucial context for understanding this position. The Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 fundamentally altered many assumptions about Middle East peace processes and Palestinian governance. When Ambassador Huckabee mentions that “Oct. 7 changed a lot of things,” he’s referring to how that attack affected Israeli public opinion, security calculations, and willingness to consider territorial concessions or Palestinian state recognition.

This shift in Israeli perspectives represents an important factor in current US diplomatic calculations. American foreign policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict traditionally balances support for Israeli security with efforts to maintain constructive relationships with Arab partners and address Palestinian political aspirations.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee speaks to Fox News Digital during an interview at the American embassy in Jerusalem, Israel. (Yoav Dudkevitch/ TPS-IL)

“But when diplomacy fails, the soldiers show up,” he said.

“I find it hard to believe the Iranians, after all these years of pushing towards a nuclear device that is weaponized, would suddenly come to their senses and say we’ve changed. We don’t want that anymore, but let’s hope they do. But if they don’t, the president has been incredibly clear that Iran is not going to have a nuclear weapon.”

On Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, he emphasized that the suffering could end immediately—if Hamas chooses to act.

“All of us are hoping and praying that Hamas will finally give up all the hostages and release them, and then they will depart Gaza for good. If they do these two things, this is over,” he said. “It could have been over on Oct. 8, 2023; it should have been. What they did was unthinkable, horrific, heinous, uncivilized, savage behavior.”

Ambassador Huckabee’s characterization of US-Israel relations provides insight into how the current administration views this crucial bilateral relationship. His deliberate choice to describe the connection as a “partnership” rather than a “friendship” or “alliance” reflects diplomatic precision about the nature of these ties.

The explanation that both nations are “yoked together in our intelligence sharing, military” cooperation illustrates the deep institutional connections that transcend political differences on specific issues. This language helps explain why the ambassador can acknowledge “differences of opinion on the next steps in the war in Gaza, getting the hostages home, or maybe to avoid an all-out war with Iran” while maintaining that the fundamental relationship “is not in any way at risk.”

Understanding these partnership dynamics requires recognizing how modern diplomatic relationships function across multiple levels simultaneously. While political leaders may disagree on specific tactics or timing, the underlying security, intelligence, and economic cooperation continues through established institutional channels.

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to the media at the end of an EU Summit in the Justus Lipsius building, the EU Council headquarters, on March 22, 2024, in Brussels, Belgium.  (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)

He noted that President Donald Trump has repeatedly insisted that Hamas has no future in Gaza. “They can’t rule it, they can’t stay,” said Huckabee.

“Israel has been clear that they are willing to put them on airplanes and fly them out in exile, they have a way out, but they don’t have a way in. They have to go, and all hostages living and dead have to be returned,” he added.

Huckabee expressed hope that this would happen immediately.

Speaking to Fox News Digital on Thursday, he said of the hostages, “This pin that I wear on my lapel—one of the happiest days of my life will be when I can take this pin off and permanently put it away, never to wear it again, because that means all of the hostages have come home,” he said. 

(L-R) Foreign Affairs Minister of Bahrain Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Foreign Affairs Minister of the United Arab Emirates Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan participate in the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords on the South Lawn of the White House on September 15, 2020, in Washington, D.C. Witnessed by President Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu signed a peace deal with the UAE and a declaration of intent to make peace with Bahrain.  (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.)

He also expressed confidence in the prospect of expanding the Abraham Accords, forged during Trump’s first term, which normalized relations between Israel and four Arab states: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.The ambassador’s optimism about expanding the Abraham Accords reflects ongoing US diplomatic efforts to normalize relations between Israel and additional Arab states. His observation that “There are a number of nations that now realize that having enmity with Israel is meaningless” suggests momentum toward broader regional integration.
The recognition that expansion “is a delicate path for some countries; they can’t go faster than their people are willing to go and accept” demonstrates understanding of domestic political constraints that Arab leaders face when considering normalization with Israel. Public opinion in many Arab countries remains skeptical of Israeli policies, particularly regarding Palestinian issues.
This diplomatic realism about pacing normalization efforts reflects lessons learned from previous peace initiatives that failed to account adequately for domestic political sustainability in participating countries.
Implications for Middle East Diplomacy
The US decision to skip the France-Saudi conference represents more than just disagreement about Palestinian statehood timing. It signals a broader approach to Middle East diplomacy that prioritizes security concerns, views current Palestinian leadership as unacceptable partners, and emphasizes regional integration through the Abraham Accords framework rather than traditional land-for-peace formulations.
Understanding these policy directions requires recognizing how the October 7th attacks affected American strategic thinking about Palestinian governance, Israeli security requirements, and the viability of conventional peace process approaches. The emphasis on Hamas departure and hostage return as prerequisites for any progress reflects this shifted strategic assessment.
The ambassador’s comments also illustrate how current US policy balances support for Israeli military objectives with efforts to maintain broader regional relationships and avoid escalation with Iran. This balancing act requires careful diplomatic communication to manage multiple relationships simultaneously while maintaining clear policy positions.He also expressed confidence in the prospect of expanding the Abraham Accords, forged during Trump’s first term, which normalized relations between Israel and four Arab states: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

While not naming new countries considering joining, Huckabee said, “There are a number of nations that now realize that having enmity with Israel is meaningless,” he said. “It is a delicate path for some countries; they can’t go faster than their people are willing to go and accept … but there is a great atmosphere and possibility that we will see some dramatic changes and big additions to the Abraham Accords.”

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