Short answer: Yes. As of August 2026, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the sitting Governor of Arkansas and former Trump White House Press Secretary, has a strong, well-documented pro-Israel record. She has signed Arkansas laws codifying the IHRA definition of antisemitism, condemned the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack in unambiguous terms, ordered flags to half-staff on its anniversary, and in August 2025 led a personal trade mission to Israel where she met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visited the Western Wall, and signed a state-to-state economic cooperation agreement.
What Sarah Huckabee Sanders has actually said and done
Sanders's support for Israel is not a matter of vague political alignment. It shows up in specific, dated actions:
- February 21, 2023: She signed Arkansas legislation adopting the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) working definition of antisemitism into state law, according to The Jerusalem Post.
- October 7, 2023: On the day of the Hamas attack, she called it "an unprovoked sneak attack against innocent Israelis" and "an act of war," said Israel "has every right to defend itself," and said the United States must stand with Israel, as reported by KARK (NBC Little Rock).
- October 7, 2024: She ordered Arkansas flags to half-staff to mark the one-year anniversary of the attack, declaring "Arkansas stands with Israel," per THV11 (NBC Little Rock).
- April 17, 2025: She signed SB 352 into law, extending the IHRA antisemitism definition into codes of conduct at Arkansas's public K-12 schools and universities, reported by the Combat Antisemitism Movement.
- August 3, 2025: She departed on her fifth international trade mission as governor, a trip to Israel and the United Arab Emirates that included stops at the Western Wall and in Judea and Samaria, plus roundtables with Israeli agritech and defense companies, according to the Arkansas Advocate.
- August 6, 2025: She met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, discussing what her office called Arkansas's "unbreakable bond" with Israel and the expansion of Arkansas-made components for Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system, per the Office of Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a meeting also confirmed by JNS.
- August 6, 2025: The same day, she signed a Memorandum of Understanding between Arkansas and Israel's National Technological Innovation Authority to strengthen economic and cultural ties, part of a broader Arkansas commitment that has included investing up to $50 million in Israeli bonds, according to the Office of Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Where this support comes from
Sanders is not Jewish; she and her family, including her father, former Arkansas Governor and Southern Baptist minister Mike Huckabee, are evangelical Christians whose pro-Israel politics stem from that tradition. Her most personal link to Israel is her father's own role: Mike Huckabee has served as U.S. Ambassador to Israel, and her August 2025 trip was reported as her first visit to Israel since his appointment. Arkansas also has a long-standing anti-BDS law barring state contractors from boycotting Israel, one that predates her governorship. A federal appeals court and the U.S. Supreme Court left that law in place in February 2023, shortly after she took office, and her administration has continued to enforce and build on it rather than originate it. Nothing in the public record shows her participating in any boycott of Israel or Israeli goods; the record is uniformly one of active engagement, legislative support, and public statements of solidarity.
The bottom line
Sarah Huckabee Sanders is a clear, active supporter of Israel. That is evidenced by concrete legislative action through Arkansas's IHRA antisemitism laws, by public statements immediately after October 7, 2023, and by a personal August 2025 trade mission that included meeting Prime Minister Netanyahu and signing a state-level cooperation agreement with Israel. Her record goes well beyond a general Republican leaning; it is a documented pattern of legislation, statements, and travel.
Wear your own answer
Governors and world leaders make their positions known through laws and handshakes. You can make yours known just as plainly. Our I Stand With Israel collection lets you carry that same clarity into your own daily life, from a simple bracelet to a statement tee, without needing a passport or a press office.
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Last updated August 2026. We update these profiles as the record changes.
