(RNS)—The former Arkansas governor and pastor-turned-Fox News host has been a supporter of Israel since his first visit in the 1970s. He sees the growth of Israel as a sign that biblical prophecies are true.

Just 22 percent support a single Israeli state in the entire land, as Huckabee does. Thus, though exceedingly unlikely to bring peace to the Middle East, Huckabee’s appointment has one salutary effect: It makes clear whom Trump’s Israel policy is meant to serve.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be ambassador to Israel, has long rejected a Palestinian state in territory previously seized by Israel

Troufanov, 29, was kidnapped from his parents' home in the border kibbutz of Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023. His mother Yelena, grandmother Irena and partner Sapir were also kidnapped, but released in a November 2023 prisoner swap deal. His father, Vitaly, was killed in the attack.

Israeli officials are insisting on maintaining a capacity to strike Lebanon at any moment as part of conditions to secure a ceasefire with Iran-backed Hezbollah, France's foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Both villages are in the Mount Lebanon region and outside areas where the armed group Hezbollah has a strong presence. The Israeli military said it was looking into the strikes, which came after it hit what it said were a number of Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs.