U.S. Authorizes Embassy To Leave “Immediately”

Late last night, the State Department urged American citizens to leave the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem immediately. The warning came via overnight communications with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, seeming to indicate that a U.S. attack on Iran could be imminent.

As reported:

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee reportedly tells embassy staffers that if they want to leave Israel they must do so “TODAY.”

If any staffers or family members want to depart, they “should do so TODAY,” Huckabee writes in the email sent this morning at 10:24 a.m. local time, according to The New York Times.

The embassy’s call for non-emergency staff to depart “will likely result in high demand for airline seats today,” he writes. “Focus on getting a seat to anyplace from which you can then continue travel to DC, but the first priority will be getting expeditiously out of country.”

The NYTimes says the email was verified by three people.

“There is no need to panic,” Huckabee reportedly wrote, “but for those desiring to leave, it’s important to make plans to depart sooner rather than later.”

So, Ambassador Mike Huckabee has told American embassy staff in Israel that if they want to leave, today is the day. Not next week. Not when it’s convenient. Not “let’s wait and see.” Basically, as the old song says, “It’s now or never.”

At the same time, the State Department has authorized the departure of non-emergency personnel and family members from Israel due to safety risks. There are also new movement restrictions for U.S. personnel inside Israel, including areas like the Old City of Jerusalem and parts of the West Bank.

And this isn’t happening in a vacuum. Other governments are issuing warnings too. We’re seeing ripple effects across the region, including Lebanon, where a similar warning was delivered to embassy staff. China is reportedly advising its citizens to leave Iran and to prepare for emergencies in Israel. Even Australia is taking precautions.

American military assets are building up. We’re seeing reports of U.S. Air Force tanker aircraft positioned in the region – the kind you need for sustained, long-range operations. 

After all, this movement comes as negotiations with Iran continue – or at least, technically continue. Talks in Geneva stretched into the night. The U.S. team has reportedly presented very firm demands, including the dismantlement of enrichment capacity and complete turnover of enriched uranium. It’s hard to imagine Iran agreeing to that baseline.

But here’s where the problem lies. We’re not negotiating with typical political diplomats. The Iranian regime is ideological. This isn’t just politics for them; it’s inextricably tied to their religious views. And when you’re negotiating with leaders who see themselves as acting in service of a divine mandate, the normal pressure points don’t always work the same way.

Perhaps diplomacy isn’t pointless. We’ve had deals before, under multiple Administrations, including the flawed nuclear deal negotiated under President Obama. And while we could sit here all day and debate whether those deals were good or bad, I will admit they, at the very least, delayed certain outcomes. The question now is whether we’ve crossed a point of no return.

Fundamentally, none of us wants another war. Nobody wants to place our military and innocent Iranians in harm’s way. We certainly don’t want another Afghanistan situation. But we also have to ask, at what point do we stop trying to manage the threat, and instead attempt to neutralize it for the safety of not just Israelis, but for the safety of Americans, and many, many others around the world?

President Donald Trump has yet to declare anything, but he’s also said publicly that he’s not happy with Iran. At the same time, the President said talks are still happening. But in both instances, he’s been clear that there’s an expiration date on this negotiation process. At some point, he believes action will become necessary. When does the clock run out for Iran?

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more analysis of this warning from Ambassador Huckabee to American embassy workers to get out of Israel while they still can. We were also joined by ACLJ Senior Counsel Jeff Ballabon, the head of ACLJ Jerusalem, to discuss the current situation and how Israelis are reacting right now, as well as the significant timing of this announcement, as we’re just days away from the sacred Jewish holiday Purim. 

Watch the full broadcast below: