US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee made a joke with embassy staff about what they should do now that they were told to shelter in place and suggested they should have children. It wasn’t a verbal joke, but was written in a memo reviewed by The Washington Post.
The report said the memo was sent to US diplomats, local staff and their family members, and referred to the long time they were spending at home as the embassy asked them to stay close to their residences. “If the long time you spend with your wife results in the birth of your next child in about nine months, then of course I expect you’ll want to name this little bugger after me!” Huckabee wrote, according to the memo reported by The Washington Post.
“If it’s a girl, Michelle is a nice name too,” he added.
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One American official described the letter to the newspaper as “strange” and “bizarre.”The Washington Post reached out to Huckabee and the US State Department about the strange memo, but neither responded. The US Embassy in Jerusalem faced significant online backlash after it revealed in a social media post that it was not in a position to assist in the evacuation of Americans in Israel or assist them directly.
The embassy said: “As a result of the current security situation throughout the region, the US Embassy has issued directives that all US government employees and their family members continue to shelter in place in and near their residences until further notice.” After the backlash, the State Department said it was taking historic action to help American citizens who want to leave the Middle East. “The Department facilitates charter flights from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan for American citizens, and will continue to secure additional capacity when security conditions permit,” the ministry said. “Commercial aviation options remain available in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Egypt, and the Department is actively assisting US citizens in reserving those tickets,” the memo said. “For those in countries that lack the availability of commercial aviation, the Department is working to facilitate travel to third countries as conditions permit. This includes increasing ground transportation options for US citizens wishing to leave Israel.”
