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Dispute over Christian groups’ visas to Israel resolved after Huckabee threat
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The diplomatic dispute triggered by a low-level clerk in Israel’s Interior Ministry over visa applications for Christian organizations was resolved on Monday through «fruitful cooperation,» attorney Calev Myers told Fox News Digital.
«The Evangelical Christian organizations active in Israel, which represent the vast majority of Zionists in the world today, will receive all of the visas they need through a streamlined and efficient application process,» he said.
The issue burst into the news last week when U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee publicized a letter he wrote to Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, in which he expressed «great distress» over a halt to the «routine granting of visas for Christian organizations and workers, as has been practiced for decades.»
HUCKABEE CONDEMNS EFFORTS TO ERASE JEWISH HISTORY TO THE HOLY LAND AS ‘ABSURD’
Christian pilgrims carrying wooden crosses walk through Jerusalem’s Old City toward the Holy Sepulchre church during the Orthodox Good Friday procession on May 3, 2024. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Huckabee, beginning in early 2025, the Interior Ministry’s visa department stopped following the Ministry of Religious Affairs recommendations and began conducting its own investigations into each Christian organization to determine whether they should be recognized as «Religious Institutions» and remain eligible for visas.
He cited as examples the Baptist Convention of Israel, Christian Missionary Alliance and Assemblies of God, noting that members of these groups have been denied renewals of their A3 clergy visas and are instead required to complete lengthy questionnaires about their religious beliefs. Huckabee said the status of their applications remains «under investigation.»
«When support for Israel around the world – and in the U.S. – is under pressure, backing from our Christian friends is extremely important»
He also named the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem as another group whose visas were «being held up.»
He had threatened that unless changes were made, «I will have no choice than to instruct our Consular Section to review options for reciprocal treatment of Israeli citizens seeking visas to the United States.»
Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee speaks to Fox News Digital during an interview at the American embassy in Jerusalem. (Yoav Dudkevitch/ TPS-IL)
A source told Fox News Digital that the issue originated with a low-level clerk in Israel’s Interior Ministry who was «not particularly friendly» toward Christian visa applicants. As a result, the visa process for clergy and volunteers had become «increasingly problematic» and filled with «barriers for years.»
A second source told Fox News Digital that elements within the Israeli Interior Ministry «are not sympathetic, they don’t appreciate the relationship» with the Christian world.
Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren told Fox News Digital that he has been involved with helping to get visas for Christian organizations that do «extraordinary and important work» and there’s no reason for them to be given a hard time.
POPE DEMANDS CEASEFIRE AFTER GAZA’S CATHOLIC CHURCH IS HIT IN APPARENT ISRAELI STRIKE
«When support for Israel around the world – and in the U.S. – is under pressure, backing from our Christian friends is extremely important,» Oren said. «They are there through thick and thin – including when bombs are falling on us – and they contribute in so many ways. Whether it’s picking grapes, attending to people in hospitals, or cooking meals for soldiers. We should do nothing but appreciate them and make them feel welcome.»
The Ministry of Interior, responsible for the Population and Immigration Authority, was led by the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, a member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition, until it bolted from the government last week over the issue of conscription into the Israeli army of ultra-Orthodox men.
Attendees wave Israel and the United States flags at the Christians United for Israel summit on July 17, 2023, in Arlington, Virginia. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
According to the first source, leadership turnover at the Population and Immigration Authority has exacerbated the issue. Amos Arbel, the former head of the authority and the uncle of outgoing Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, stepped down some five years ago. His replacements rotated through the position in quick succession, and the role is currently vacant.
«The absence of stable leadership has allowed a lower-ranking official – the head of the visa section – to make unilateral decisions,» the source explained. «She routinely disregards recommendations, including those from the ministry’s own religious affairs advisor.»
«It’s a chronic problem, and it’s disheartening,» the source said. «It shouldn’t take the intervention of someone like Ambassador Huckabee to resolve what should be a routine bureaucratic matter.»
EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS, WHO HAVE LONG SUPPORTED ISRAEL, VISIT AS WARTIME VOLUNTEERS
In response, Moshe Arbel sent a letter to Huckabee, reaffirming his «commitment to reviewing such applications [for clergy visas] with the utmost efficiency.» He wrote that «immediately following our meeting, I instructed all relevant professional bodies to act in accordance with the understandings we reached, and I assigned advisors from my office – headed by the chief of staff – to ensure a personal, continuous, and effective response to such requests.»
Arbel’s office said in a statement to Fox News Digital: «There is no fear of diplomatic repercussions. The issue is being handled in a good and friendly manner.»
Orthodox Christians carry wooden crosses along the Via Dolorosa (Way of Suffering) in the Old City of Jerusalem during the Orthodox Good Friday procession on April 14, 2023. (Saeed Qaq/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
When contacted by Fox News Digital, the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem declined to comment.
As of the end of 2024, Israel’s Christian population was estimated at 180,300 – roughly 1.8% of the total population – reflecting a 0.6% increase from 2023, according to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics. Israel is the only country in the Middle East where the local Christian population is growing.
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David Parsons, vice president of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, told Fox News Digital that he is «very grateful that the U.S. ambassador has intervened on behalf of all the Christian organizations.
«It’s a shame that it takes this sort of action when the government and the minister of interior should have reined in the head of the visa section and corrected her wrong decisions,» he said.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman told Fox News Digital that he had spoken to individuals on both sides of the issue and believed it «was a misunderstanding and the Christian groups will get what they need. This does not at all speak to the very important relationship that Israel has with the Christian community,» he said.
INTERNACIONAL
Discurso del Estado de la Unión: Trump describió un EE.UU. «dorado», pero los estadounidenses no lo perciben
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Speechwriters split after Trump’s record-breaking SOTU: ‘Living in his own reality’ vs. ‘Resounding speech’
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Presidential speechwriters sharply split late Tuesday after President Donald Trump delivered a record-breaking State of the Union address, drawing praise from allies and prompting early exits from some Democrats.
During his address, Trump focused on immigration enforcement, economic concerns and global trade issues as he occasionally sparred with Democrats like Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, who along with fellow Squad member Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan left the chamber early, while Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was booted after waving a sign condemning a recent Trump social media post.
Gene Hamilton, a former deputy White House counsel who has written speeches, told Fox News Digital that Trump delivered a «resounding speech» and «could not have been more clear about the current state of our great nation.»
«A vision of hope, prosperity, and strength, driven by strong borders, a strong economy, and a love of country.»
President Donald Trump, center, greets lawmakers on State of the Union night. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images)
Hamilton said the speech was «juxtaposed» against a swath of the Democratic caucus in the chamber that «wouldn’t even stand for the provision that the government’s first duty ‘is to protect American citizens, not illegal immigrants’.»
«Donald Trump saved this country with his election in 2024. His administration will keep working every day to deliver real wins for the American people,» said Hamilton, who worked in the first Trump administration and now works with America First Legal.
On the other side of the political spectrum, former Biden speechwriter Dan Cluchey told Fox News Digital that Trump did «less than zero to dispel the notion that he is living in his own reality.»
Asked if Trump succeeded in addressing the immigration crisis and affordability criticisms well enough, Cluchey said that while Americans endure «skyrocketing grocery, energy, and health costs, rising unemployment, and an economy that is growing more slowly today than in any year under President Biden, his only play is to tell families not to believe their own pocketbooks.»
TRUMP TAKES DIRECT SOTU SWIPE AT DEMOCRATS OVER TAXES: ‘TO HURT THE PEOPLE’
U.S. Rep. Al Green protests as President Donald Trump arrives to deliver the State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress at the Capitol on February 24, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images)
«[That] doesn’t work,» said Cluchey, who co-hosted a SOTU watch party and speechwriting workshop across town at Georgetown University during Trump’s speech.
Asked about Trump’s ability to convey what he believed to be his administration’s successes, Cluchey said that dynamic «doesn’t really work when the claims you fabricate don’t square with people’s real lives.»
«A willingness to lie brazenly about anything and everything has some utility when you’re campaigning, but it doesn’t hold up when you’re governing — and people are actually living through the constant stream of chaos, cruelty, and ineptitude,» Cluchey said.
Cluchey added that Trump did not do enough to combat his critics, saying he instead came across as «self-obsessed and delusional as he always does.»
Unlike Hamilton, Cluchey believed Trump failed to change any minds in America with his remarks.
Hamilton separately countered that Trump did indeed reiterate that he has delivered on campaign promises.
«For all the haters and ‘black-pillers’ who run their mouths incessantly, just one year of President Trump’s successes has dwarfed the accomplishments of entire administrations that preceded him,» he said.
Michael Ceraso, a Democratic strategist with a background in speechwriting who worked with presidential candidates Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders, offered a slightly different perspective, saying that as a Democrat, he wants a president who works toward collaboration and not someone who «speaks in monologues.»
DOUG SCHOEN: ONE BIG WINNER, ONE GIANT LOSER AND ONE BIG PROBLEM AFTER TRUMP’S STATE OF THE UNION
Connor Hellebuyck seen after President Donald Trump announces he will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
«As a voter, I may not like him. I may find his long form exhausting. But when he speaks, he never wavers from American exceptionalism,» Ceraso said.
«I see someone protecting our cities against those he deems a threat to democracy, revving up the economy, managing global partners, and defeating terrorism.»
Ceraso said, however, he misses former President Barack Obama and his message of intellectualism, curiosity and togetherness.
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«As a voter, I believe both parties are bad for this country.»
«So I go with the guy who entertains me,» Ceraso said.
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MEXICO CITY: Firsthand accounts are emerging from Americans trapped by this week’s cartel-related violence in Mexico following the death of cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as «El Mencho.»
As news spread of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) cartel boss’s murder, reports described armed clashes between rival criminal organizations and Mexican security forces, as well as coordinated vehicle burnings and temporary highway blockades. Mexican authorities say that such operations are often linked to internal cartel disputes or targeted law enforcement actions.
With the situation improving, Americans in the tourist area of Puerto Vallarta and beyond shared their experiences of the violent scenes they were caught up in.
A soldier stands guard by a charred vehicle after it was set on fire in Cointzio, Michoacán state, Mexico, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, after the death of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as «El Mencho.» (AP Photo/Armando Solis) (Armando Solis/AP Photo)
«My group was seven people, and we were on our way to the main port in Puerto Vallarta with a local shuttle driver when we saw a bus stopped horizontally across the road in front of us. At first, we thought it was an accident, but then we saw people running full speed away from the bus,» Colorado resident Scott Posilkin told Fox News Digital.
«As we were trying to register what was happening, we saw a man with a gun come around the far side of the bus. He waved it at us and gave us a hand signal to turn around, which we immediately did. We tried to head in the opposite direction, but we encountered another burning car, which left us essentially trapped between the two.»
He continued, «We went down to the only beach we could access. One of the locals advised us that the safest place for us would be out on the water. We took a tender boat out to the snorkeling boat we were supposed to be on and stayed there for a few hours. From the water, we could see what looked like much of the town burning.»
Posilkin said, «Getting a boat back to shore took a long time, and at one point we even considered swimming because there was no one on the beach to come get us. The captain said he had never seen the beach empty like that in his life, and he grew up there. We eventually flagged down a passing tender that brought us to shore. There were cartel members on a motorcycle who yelled «Viva Mexico» at us, but we did not feel that they were threatening us in any way. Both our shuttle driver and the locals assured us that the cartel was not interested in harming Americans and that it was still safest for us to get home that way.»
A burned-out bus in the Puerto Vallarta area of Mexico. (Photo courtesy of Scott Posilkin)
Posilkin gave credit to the locals for their help and support. «I want to emphasize how above and beyond the locals went to help us during an incredibly stressful situation. Everyone we interacted with — from our boat captain to our shuttle driver — had grown up here, and none of them had ever seen anything like this before… More than anything, I feel bad for the locals. Tourism is their livelihood, and I worry about the impact this will have on them. This experience hasn’t changed my love for travel or for Mexico, though it was a serious ordeal.»
TROOPS REINFORCE PUERTO VALLARTA AS UNREST SHOWS SIGNS OF EASING FOLLOWING EL MENCHO’S DEATH
Tourists walk past a burned shop in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco state, Mexico, on Feb. 24, 2026, after cartel-linked violence erupted following the death of Jalisco New Generation cartel leader Nemesio «El Mencho» Oseguera Cervantes. (Alfredo Estrella/AFP via Getty Images)
Rodolfo Flores, an American citizen and executive in the energy sector talked to Fox News Digital: «Although it wasn’t one of the worst-affected areas, on Sunday I saw a convenience store in Querétaro that had been burned down with a Molotov bomb.»
He said, «On the way to Mexico City, we saw cars and trucks that had been set on fire. This is just one example of how vulnerable we are, and it’s astonishing how these criminal organizations can terrorize the population. The authorities are to blame for allowing them to grow and expand with highly effective criminal cells.»
Security analysts note that cartel violence often intensifies following high-profile arrests, internal leadership disputes, or shifts in territorial control. Public displays of force — such as coordinated blockades or attacks on infrastructure — can serve as demonstrations of operational capacity.
Smoke rises after violence hit Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. (Photo courtesy of Scott Posilkin)
Another American, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons, told Fox News Digital, «I left Coalcoman Michoacan on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. when the chaos began. As I left town, I saw them burning cars and trucks, pulling people out of their vehicles, and setting them on fire. Luckily, I managed to escape and cross the mountains; it’s a mountainous region. All along the way, I kept seeing burning cars and armed people. I was fortunate that they didn’t stop me,» he said.
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«I made it all the way to Colima and then to Guadalajara. Later, things got worse in my town. I heard they started burning gas stations and set fire to a supermarket. They closed off the town so people couldn’t get in or out.»
On Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. embassy in Mexico posted an update stating that «U.S. citizens are no longer urged to shelter in place.»
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mexican cartel violence,location mexico,travel,trade
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