Though Americans are sharply divided, mostly along party lines, over Republican House Speaker John Boehner's invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress, Israelis don't see it as such says former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Appearing Sunday on
"Face the Nation," Huckabee said he has just returned from a trip to Israel, and has visited the area for the past 42 years.
"Yes, there's some Washington politics involved in this. But let's hope and pray it doesn't spill over into a strained relationship with the one reliable ally that we have basically between Africa and Asia," Huckabee said.
Netanyahu is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday over the threat of a nuclear Iran. But many Democrats have said they won't attend, and President Barack Obama has declined to meet with Netanyahu because he faces re-election in just two weeks.
Boehner said he invited Netanyahu the day after Obama's State of the Union speech because he felt the president didn't adequately address the Iran threat or terrorism from groups such as the Islamic State (ISIS.)
"Israel is the canary in the coal mine," Huckabee told CBS. "Something happens to Israel, that's not the end of it – that is the beginning of it"
The ultimate target, Huckabee said, is the United States,
Huckabee is thought to be considering another run at the White House, especially after giving up his show on Fox News Channel earlier this year.
Huckabee said he is sticking to a spring announcement, but added, "The fact that I left Fox News is pretty good indication that I didn't do that just because I enjoyed having Saturdays at home."
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