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Huckabee’s Off-Calendar Embassy Meeting With Jonathan Pollard Prompts Backlash and Security Concerns

Intelligence officials say the private contact broke long-standing practice of avoiding convicted spies.

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U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visits the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh, northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, on July 19, 2025. In the villages and communities around Taybeh, Palestinian authorities have reported that settlers had killed three people and damaged or destroyed multiple water sources in the past two weeks alone.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 25: Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be ambassador to Israel, testifies during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Huckabee, the former governor and presidential candidate, answered questions on Israel and its campaign against Hamas. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Jonathan Pollard confirmed he met U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee in July at the embassy in Jerusalem, describing a friendly visit and his first time in a U.S. government office since release.
  • The meeting did not appear on Huckabee’s public schedule, and U.S. officials said the CIA’s Tel Aviv station chief was alarmed after learning it had occurred.
  • The White House said it had no advance notice but affirmed the president stands by Huckabee, while the embassy declined details and said the Times story contained inaccuracies.
  • Pollard told i24 News and NBC the visit was a personal thank-you for Huckabee’s past advocacy and did not provide specifics about any substantive discussion.
  • Criticism came from prominent conservatives and a Democratic lawmaker, yet there has been no public disciplinary action or formal investigation announced.