Choosing two men with such strong views on the legitimacy of the West Bank settlements at a time when their status is being legally challenged in international courts makes a powerful statement.

The West Bank has seen escalating violence since Oct. 7, with Israeli soldiers pursuing militants in residential areas and Jewish settlers mounting attacks on Palestinians in land grabs. Elizabeth Palmer looks at what President-elect Donald Trump's election victory and his selection of Mike Huckabee for U.

Just 22 percent support a single Israeli state in the entire land, as Huckabee does. Thus, though exceedingly unlikely to bring peace to the Middle East, Huckabee’s appointment has one salutary effect: It makes clear whom Trump’s Israel policy is meant to serve.