Arab and Muslim Nations Blast US Envoy’s Remarks on Israel’s Territorial Claims
Several Arab and Muslim-majority countries have sharply criticized comments made by Mike Huckabee, after he suggested in an interview that Israel would be justified in claiming a vast expanse of territory in the Middle East based on Biblical references.
Speaking to conservative commentator Tucker Carlson in an interview released Friday, Huckabee was questioned about interpretations of scripture that, according to Carlson, describe land stretching from the River Nile in Egypt to the Euphrates in present-day Syria and Iraq as belonging to Israel.
Responding to the suggestion, the ambassador said it “would be fine if it took it all,” though he later clarified that such a statement was “somewhat hyperbolic.” He emphasized that Israel was not seeking to claim the entire region but rather to retain and secure the territory it currently controls.
Regional Backlash
The remarks prompted swift condemnation from governments across the Middle East and beyond. In a joint statement issued by the United Arab Emirates, more than a dozen countries described the comments as “dangerous and inflammatory,” warning that they could undermine diplomatic efforts to end the war in Gaza.
The signatories included Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, and others. Regional bodies including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League, and the Gulf Cooperation Council also endorsed the statement.
The statement accused Huckabee of implying that Israel could legitimately assert control over territories belonging to Arab states, including the occupied West Bank. It stressed that such rhetoric violates international law and contradicts ongoing diplomatic initiatives aimed at achieving a political settlement that would establish an independent Palestinian state.
The governments reaffirmed their rejection of any annexation of the West Bank, separation of the West Bank and Gaza, or expansion of settlement activity in occupied territories. They also reiterated that Israel holds no sovereignty over occupied Palestinian lands.
Settlement Controversy
The dispute over the West Bank remains central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel has constructed approximately 160 settlements housing around 700,000 Israeli citizens since capturing the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the 1967 war. Roughly 3.3 million Palestinians live in the same territory.
The settlements are widely regarded as illegal under international law — a position reinforced by a 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice. Israel disputes that characterization.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously rejected the court’s findings, asserting that Jewish communities in the area are not occupying foreign land.
Settlement expansion has accelerated since Netanyahu returned to office in late 2022 leading a right-wing coalition, particularly following the outbreak of the Gaza conflict triggered by Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s subsequent military campaign.
Diplomatic Implications
Huckabee has long been vocal in his support for Israeli sovereignty claims in the West Bank, a position that differs from longstanding US policy supporting a negotiated two-state solution.
The latest controversy comes at a sensitive time, as regional and international actors attempt to revive diplomatic efforts to halt hostilities in Gaza and reopen a political pathway toward resolving one of the Middle East’s most enduring conflicts.
