Mike Huckabee criticised for accusing Jewish UK foreign secretary of 'Jew hate'

What Happened

Ed Miliband, the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary, who is Jewish, released a video on 31 March 2025 in which he said he had just come out of a meeting about Gaza with people who had been there and were on the ground, and that "frankly it was horrific what is unfolding." Miliband said the UK government "has got to act and act more decisively than we have." In response, the official X account of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted that "facts matter less (when making a video for a political audience)" to the British Foreign Secretary. Mike Huckabee, the United States Ambassador to Israel, shared that Israeli ministry post and added: "The Brits have lost it. The Jew hate of their government knows no boundaries and knows no facts."

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The public exchange introduces direct diplomatic friction between the US Ambassador to Israel and the British Foreign Secretary over UK criticism of Israel's military operations in Gaza. Accusing the UK government of 'Jew hate' while targeting a Jewish foreign secretary escalates the rhetorical stakes and could strain US-UK-Israel coordination at a time when Washington, London, Cairo and Doha are engaged in ceasefire mediation. It also highlights growing divergence among allies over how forcefully to respond to conditions in Gaza.

Watch For

Monitor for a formal response from 10 Downing Street or the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and for any clarification or retraction from the US Embassy in Jerusalem or the State Department. Watch whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office or Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar amplifies or distances from the Israeli ministry post. No specific diplomatic deadline is identified in the article, but any effect on ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, would be the most concrete escalation to track.