US Ambassador Huckabee Announces Resolution of Israel Evangelical Visa Dispute

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced that a visa dispute affecting American evangelical Christian organizations in Israel has been fully resolved following high-level intervention involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's Interior Ministry. The issue arose from changes in visa procedures implemented in January, which caused bureaucratic delays, increased costs, and burdensome paperwork for Christian groups that had operated under streamlined processes for decades. Huckabee initially met with Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, but when challenges persisted, he escalated the matter to the Prime Minister's Office, emphasizing the detrimental impact on Israel's relationship with American evangelicals. The resolution restored the previous efficient visa application process, with Huckabee expressing gratitude that Minister Arbel had personally intervened after being unaware of the imposed changes. Attorney Calev Myers, representing around 150 Christian organizations, confirmed that the agreement reinstates the long-standing procedures, ensuring the continuation of strong support from American evangelical groups toward Israel. The dispute had become public after Huckabee sent a strongly worded letter threatening to declare Israel unwelcoming to evangelicals if the situation was not addressed, prompting swift government action to resolve the matter amicably.