A couple of Messianic Jewish leaders are praising former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee for comments he made during a recent visit to Israel.

While in the Holy Land earlier this week, Huckabee slammed President Barack Obama’s Israel policy during his visit to Jerusalem. The former Arkansas governor said it concerns him "that some in the U.S. tell Israelis they can’t live where they want in their own country." He also said Obama’s call to end Jewish settlements in traditional Palestinian areas only encourages the Palestinians not to negotiate with Israel.
 
Jan Markell, founder and director of Olive Tree Ministries, confesses that she finds Huckabee’s stance refreshing.
 
"So many of us who are pro-Israel are so tired of this same topic, that the Israelis and the Palestinians have to live together in peace," she notes. "The problem is the Palestinians don’t want peace. The Arab world wants the destruction of Israel    and Huckabee knows that. And he’s just sort of saying, well, I’m just going to tell it like it is."
 
David Brickner, executive director of Jews for Jesus, points out that Huckabee has expressed pro Israel views in the past.
 
"What I remember when he was running for the Republican nomination [for president] was that he was extremely positive in support of Israel," says Brickner. "And so I have no doubt that he came down on the right side in that regard."
 
Markell says she hopes Huckabee will run again in 2012, and she doubts that many others in the Republican field will express the strong pro-Israel support that he does.