(NewsNation) — If confirmed as President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Israel, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will be stepping into his position after more than a year of war and amid a fragile ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
Huckabee said on “Morning in America” that he is “cautiously optimistic” the remaining hostages held by Hamas will be released.
Although he does not know the date of his confirmation hearing, Huckabee said he is “ready and looking forward to it.”
“(I’m) hopeful that I’ll be confirmed and on my way to Jerusalem soon,” Huckabee said.
Three of Trump’s most controversial Cabinet picks set for hearings
During his first term, Trump helped broker a deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain known as the Abraham Accords.
“He didn’t get really the credit that he deserved, but to bring normalization between Israel and many of the Arab nations along the Gulf was huge,” Huckabee said.
Now, Huckabee said, there’s a chance to expand on this work.
“That would be huge, and it could be, really, a game changer for the entire Middle East,” Huckabee said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
