JERUSALEM – Multiple Middle Eastern nations have sharply criticized recent statements made by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee regarding Israel’s territorial claims based on biblical references, with regional leaders describing his words as reckless and provocative.
During a television interview with Tucker Carlson that was recorded Wednesday in Israel and broadcast Friday, Huckabee responded to questions about Israel’s territorial rights rooted in religious scripture. The ambassador, known for his evangelical Christian beliefs and long history of supporting Israel, has consistently backed Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank throughout his political career – territory that Palestinians view as essential for their future nation.
The international community generally considers Israeli settlements in areas seized during the 1967 conflict to violate international law, though Israel rejects this interpretation and points to religious and historical connections to these regions.
When Carlson referenced the Book of Genesis and asked about Israel’s potential claim to lands that God allegedly promised Abraham – territory spanning from the Euphrates River to the Nile and encompassing much of the Middle East – Huckabee responded with controversial remarks.
“It would be fine if they took it all. But I don’t think that’s what we’re talking about here today,” Huckabee stated during the interview.
The ambassador continued by saying: “We’re talking about this land that the state of Israel now lives in and wants to have peace in, they’re not trying to take over Jordan, they’re not trying to take over Syria, they’re not trying to take over Iraq or anywhere else. They want to protect their people.”
These statements triggered a coordinated response from Palestinian leadership and numerous countries including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan, who issued a unified condemnation.
The joint statement characterized his words as: “Dangerous and inflammatory remarks, which constitute a flagrant violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and pose a grave threat to the security and stability of the region.”
A representative from the US Embassy clarified that Huckabee’s statements do not signal any shift in American foreign policy, emphasizing that his complete comments demonstrated Israel’s lack of interest in expanding beyond its existing borders.
Israeli government officials have not yet provided public responses to either the interview content or the regional backlash from the countries that signed the joint condemnation.
