Lapid welcomes US envoy’s clarification he’s not meddling in Israeli politics

By Sam Sokol 10 June 2025, 5:01 pm

Edit

Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid welcomes US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee’s statement denying that he has been meeting with ultra-Orthodox coalition members as part of efforts to prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government from collapsing.

“We are grateful to Ambassador Huckabee for this important statement that he has not, and will not, get involved in the coalition crisis here in Israel,” Lapid posts on X.

“Ambassador Huckabee is a great friend of Israel and we had no doubt about his objectivity and integrity. Thank you Mike.”

We are grateful to Ambassador Huckabee for this important statement that he has not, and will not, get involved in the coalition crisis here in Israel. Ambassador Huckabee is a great friend of Israel and we had no doubt about his objectivity and integrity. Thank you Mike https://t.co/fgPUPo1j1y

— יאיר לפיד – Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) June 10, 2025

In a post on X, Huckabee wrote that there had been “no attempt to influence Haredi Knesset members regarding a decision to dissolve the government.”

Citing diplomatic and political sources, Channel 13 news reported Monday that Huckabee told senior Haredi politicians “government stability is important for addressing the Iranian issue,” and that early elections would be a mistake.

One of the meetings was held Thursday with Minister Meir Porush of the United Torah Judaism party. According to the network, Huckabee urged Porush “not to break up the government.”