Huckabee said to tell embassy staffers: If you want to leave Israel, ‘do so TODAY’

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee attends the lobby for Israel–United States relations at the Knesset in Jerusalem, February 25, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee attends the lobby for Israel–United States relations at the Knesset in Jerusalem, February 25, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee reportedly tells embassy staffers that if they want to leave Israel they must do so “TODAY.”

If any staffers or family members want to depart, they “should do so TODAY,” Huckabee writes in the email sent this morning at 10:24 a.m. local time, according to The New York Times.

The embassy’s call for non-emergency staff to depart “will likely result in high demand for airline seats today,” he writes. “Focus on getting a seat to anyplace from which you can then continue travel to DC, but the first priority will be getting expeditiously out of country.”

The NYTimes says the email was verified by three people.

“There is no need to panic,” Huckabee reportedly wrote, “but for those desiring to leave, it’s important to make plans to depart sooner rather than later.”

Most Popular
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.