Jerusalem's Municipality had worked with the Tourism and Interior Ministries to prepare for the event, with Mayor Moshe Lion extending his blessing to the Jerusalem Christian community.
Huckabee’s stance has drawn criticism from figures including Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, and Marjorie Taylor Greene who have questioned whether US support for Israel serves national interests.
After two unusually quiet holiday seasons, Christmas has returned to the Galilean city, drawing visitors back into its streets and offering a modest lift to local tourism.
The pope expressed his pride in Israel’s diverse and thriving Christian communities, who will gather at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem for an annual festive meeting in the coming weeks.
"It has become increasingly common to drag the language of faith into political battles, to bless nationalism, and to justify violence and armed struggle in the name of religion," said the pope.
Tucker Carlson said he personally knows some of the pastors he is criticizing and accused them of abandoning core Christian teachings in the name of politics and prophecy.
Pastors from across the United States grappled with the human cost of October 7 and their responsibility to speak out, teach, and advocate when they returned from Israel.
Dr. Mike Evans stressed Israel's historical and faith-based claim to Judea and Samaria and urged the White House to stand with Israel on the territory.
Largest Christian delegation ever to visit Israel opens FOZ Ambassadors Summit at massacre scene and Mount Herzl
Pope Leo has dissolved the Vatican's fundraising panel, created in Francis’s final months, and ordered a review of future efforts.
The prizes, awarded in memory of Christians who resisted fascism and fought against Nazi oppression during the Second World War, were presented during a ceremony in Israel for the first time.