U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is facing fierce bipartisan demands for his resignation following revelations of a clandestine July meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem with Jonathan Pollard, the former Navy analyst convicted of one of history’s most damaging espionage acts against the United States on behalf of Israel.

The off-schedule encounter was first reported by the New York Times on Thursday. Kept secret from the White House and alarming the CIA station chief, it has been widely decried as an outrageous normalization of betrayal.

Representative Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), a House Intelligence Committee member, branded Pollard “a convicted traitor who provided highly sensitive national security information to the Israeli government” with zero remorse, slamming the embassy hosting as “unacceptable.”

Conservative pillars slammed Huckabee too: prominent commentator Tucker Carlson decried the “shocking behavior” of a U.S. ambassador welcoming a man whose leaks risked countless American lives, adding, “This is shocking behavior from a United States ambassador. Is Huckabee going to explain it?”

Former White House strategist Steve Bannon thundered for his immediate recall, calling him “out of control.”

Pollard, released in 2015 after 30 years and feted as a hero upon arriving in Israel, confirmed the “friendly” sit-down to thank Huckabee for past advocacy but swiftly accused the CIA of leaking details in an “anti-Israel” smear campaign, insisting the agency harbors hostile elements needing a thorough purge.

Critics warn the episode exposes Huckabee’s pattern of prioritizing Israel’s far-right over U.S. interests, eroding diplomatic norms, and fueling perceptions of undue foreign sway in American affairs.

Critics condemn the incident as stark evidence of Huckabee’s repeated subordination of American sovereignty to Israel’s extremist factions, shattering long-standing diplomatic red lines and amplifying widespread alarms over excessive Israeli influence on U.S. foreign policy.