Arabic version: دول عربية تنتقد تصريحات السفير الأمريكي المثيرة للجدل حول إسرائيل
Arab and Muslim governments have condemned comments made by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who suggested that Israel could justify taking control of a large area of the Middle East based on Biblical grounds. In an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, Huckabee stated, “it would be fine if it took it all,” although he later clarified that Israel was only seeking to maintain the land it currently occupies.
According to BBC News, more than a dozen governments, including Jordan, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, released a joint statement denouncing Huckabee’s remarks as “dangerous and inflammatory.” They expressed concern that such statements threaten ongoing efforts to resolve the war in Gaza.
The interview featured Carlson pressing Huckabee on a Biblical interpretation that suggested Israel’s right to land extending between the River Nile and the Euphrates. Huckabee acknowledged the vastness of that territory but insisted the discussion was not about reclaiming all that land. He characterized his earlier comment about Israel taking it all as somewhat “hyperbolic.”
The UAE’s foreign ministry issued a statement on behalf of multiple governments, strongly condemning Huckabee’s remarks. They argued that his comments indicated a willingness for Israel to control territories belonging to Arab states, including the occupied West Bank, which they stated violated international law. The statement reaffirmed that Israel has no sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory or any other occupied Arab lands.
The joint statement was supported by various nations and organizations, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League. It emphasized a firm rejection of any attempts to annex the West Bank and the expansion of Israeli settlements, which are considered illegal under international law. The statement also highlighted ongoing tensions in the region, particularly following the escalation of violence in Gaza since the onset of the conflict triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023.
