Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, chosen by President-elect Donald Trump to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel, has published a children's book that intertwines religious and political elements. This book offers a unique look at Israel's history and its significance in the world.

Unveiling Mike Huckabee's Israel Book - A Christian Zionist View

Introduction to the Book's Content

The "Kids Guide to Israel" by Mike Huckabee is a 20-page pamphlet that tells a simplified story of courageous Jews standing against Arabs and antisemites to establish a country central to the world's destiny. It showcases his Christian Zionist worldview, which has been under scrutiny since his appointment as ambassador. The book seamlessly integrates religious justifications with political reasons, hinting at how he might act in his new role.This "faith-based" education company, eSpired, which Huckabee co-founded, has published dozens of guides. The Israel guide specifically focuses on Israel's lineage from God's Biblical covenant with Abraham and offers an abbreviated history of the state. However, it sometimes gets the details wrong and omits important aspects like Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

Illustrations and Their Significance

Some of the illustrations in the Texas Education Agency's Bluebonnet curriculum seem to have come directly from eSpired's "Kids Guide" series. The book's timeline of Jewish history runs from 1800 BCE to 1948, with only a few detours. It emphasizes Jewish persecution but ignores Israel's actions in the West Bank and Gaza.For example, in the section on "the intifadas," it wrongly states that after 2000 terrorist attacks, Israel tried to negotiate by signing the 1993 Oslo Accords. Also, under the "why Israel matters to the world" section, it mistakenly includes non-Israelis like Moses and Noah in the list of Jewish scientists.The map on the book's cover shows Gaza, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights shaded differently but never mentions these regions by name. It refers to "various groups living in Palestine" during the Oslo accords.

Arab-Palestinian Representation

Arabs and Palestinians are only portrayed as Israel's enemies or recipients of its benevolence. The guide states that "anti-Israel Arabs" tried to block Israel's founding and that Arab nations have been attacking Israel since its creation. It also claims that Palestinian leaders want to destroy Israel and remove the Jewish people.However, it does mention that Arabs have full civil rights under Israeli law and that Israel is one of the few places in the Middle East where Arab women can vote and serve in government. But it still emphasizes the media's and antisemites' siding with Israel's enemies.

The Holocaust Section

The Holocaust section features a doe-eyed Jewish boy with a yellow Star of David. While it is relatively tame compared to Huckabee's previous comments, he once compared the removal of Jewish settlers in Gaza to the Holocaust and Israeli soldiers to Nazis.This shows the complex and sometimes controversial views presented in the book. It highlights the need to critically examine such materials and understand the underlying ideologies.Arno Rosenfeld is the enterprise reporter at the Forward, covering antisemitism, philanthropy, sexual misconduct, and American Jewish politics. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @arnorosenfeld.We hope you found this article informative. During this critical time, please support the Forward's nonprofit journalism by becoming a member at your most generous level. Our goal is to raise $260,000 by December 31 to continue providing high-quality news and analysis.