US ambassaor to Israel Mike Huckabee made a joke with embassy staff about what to do now as they have been asked to shelter in place and suggested that they should procreate. It was not a verbal joke but was written in a memo reviewed by the Washington Post. The report said the memo was sent to US diplomats, local staff and family members and referred to the extended time they were getting to spend at home as the embassy asked them to remain near their residences. “If the extended time with your spouse results in the birth of your next child in about nine months, I of course expect that you will want to name the little bugger after me!” Huckabee wrote, according to the memo cited by The Washington Post. “If it’s a girl, Michelle is a nice name too,” he added.One US official described the message to the newspaper as “awkward” and “odd.”The Washington Post reached out to Huckabee and the US State Department about the odd memo but neither of them responded. The US Embassy Jerusalem faced significant backlash online after revealing in a social media post that it was not in a position to help evacuate or directly assist Americans in Israel.“As a result of the current security situation throughout the region, the US Embassy has directed that all U.S. government employees and their family members continue to shelter in place in and near their residences until further notice,” the embassy said. After the backlash, the State Department said it was taking historic action to assist American citizens who wish to depart the Middle East. “The Department is facilitating charter flights from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan for American citizens, and will continue to secure additional capacity as security conditions allow,” the department said. “Commercial aviation options remain available in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Egypt, and the Department is actively helping American citizens book those tickets. For those in countries lacking commercial aviation availability, the Department is facilitating travel to third countries as conditions allow. That includes increasing ground transportation options for American citizens wishing to leave Israel,” the note said.
