Mike Huckabee Honors the Bibas Family at Emotional Ceremony

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited Moshav Hayogev on Thursday to participate in a memorial ceremony honoring the Bibas family. The event was organized by My Tree in Israel, an initiative that Huckabee has personally embraced. During the ceremony, a memorial tree was dedicated in memory of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, of blessed memory.

Among those in attendance were Yarden Bibas and his sister, Ofri Bibas. Yarden expressed his gratitude to the donor who sponsored the tree and chose to commemorate his family through the project.

Addressing Yarden, Ambassador Huckabee conveyed his deep sorrow over the tragedy the family has endured. He emphasized that people around the world had prayed not only for Yarden but also for Shiri and the children. He added that the atrocities of October 7 and the suffering endured by the State of Israel must never be forgotten.

Avi Harosh, father of Rif Harosh, of blessed memory, introduced the ambassador and his wife to the memorial tree planted in honor of his son, a commando soldier who was killed in Gaza in April 2024. He shared photographs of Rif and spoke about his frequent visits to the site, explaining that being there gives him a sense of closeness to his son. He added that, at those moments, he feels his son is at peace.

During the visit, Kobi Asaf, CEO of My Tree in Israel, gave the Huckabee family a tour of the largest olive press in the Middle East, where they learned about the olive oil production process.

Ambassador Huckabee also updated the plaque on the tree he had previously adopted to read "Ambassador Huckabee" and dedicated an additional tree in honor of his daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the Governor of Arkansas.