U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee attended an emotional memorial ceremony Thursday for the murdered members of the Bibas family at Moshav HaYogev. Yarden Bibas and his sister were present at the event, where Huckabee expressed his deep sorrow for what they endured and said “we must never forget October 7.”
1+As part of the ‘My Tree in Israel’ initiative that Huckabee has adopted, a memorial tree was dedicated during the ceremony in memory of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas. “The whole world prayed for you,” Huckabee told Yarden and Ofri.
Another moving moment came when Avi Harush, father of the late Rif Harush, showed the ambassador and his wife the tree planted in memory of his son, a commando soldier killed in Gaza. Avi showed them photos of his son and spoke about his frequent visits to the site. “In these moments I feel that my son is happy,” he said.
1+The ambassador and his wife also toured the largest olive press in the Middle East, where they were shown the olive oil production process. During the tour, Huckabee shared that he buys many bottles of olive oil each year and gives them as personal gifts to his friends during the holidays.