U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee joked with embassy staff about what to do now that they were asked to shelter in place and suggested they should have children. This was not a spoken joke but was written in a memo reviewed by The Washington Post. According to reports, the memo has been sent to U.S. diplomats, local staff and family members, and mentioned that they will spend longer time at home because the embassy requires them to stay close to their residences. “If extended time with your spouse results in the birth of your next child in about nine months, I certainly hope you will want to name the little guy after me!” Huckabee wrote, according to the memo cited by The Washington Post. “Michelle is also a good name for a girl,” he added.
One US official described the newspaper’s news as “awkward” and “bizarre”.The Washington Post reached out to Huckabee and the State Department about the bizarre memo, but neither responded. The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem faced backlash online after revealing in a social media post that it could not help evacuate or directly assist Americans in Israel.“Given the current security situation throughout the region, the U.S. Embassy has directed all U.S. government employees and their families to continue sheltering in and around their residences until further notice,” the embassy said. After the backlash, the U.S. State Department said it was taking historic action to help U.S. citizens who want to leave the Middle East. “The department is facilitating charter flights for U.S. citizens from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan and will continue to secure additional capacity as safety conditions permit,” the department said. “Commercial air options remain available in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Egypt, and the Department of Commerce is actively helping U.S. citizens book these tickets,” the note said. “For those from countries lacking commercial air travel, the Department will facilitate travel to third countries when conditions permit. This includes increasing ground transportation options for U.S. citizens wishing to leave Israel.”
