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Arab and Muslim nations have fiercely criticized U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, for his recent remarks regarding Israel’s territorial rights. Speaking on Friday during a conversation with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, Huckabee caused a stir when he suggested Israel has a legitimate claim to a significant part of the Middle East.
In the interview, Carlson referenced the Bible, noting that the descendants of Abraham were promised land covering much of the present-day Middle East. He then questioned Huckabee about Israel’s entitlement to these lands.
Huckabee’s response, “It would be fine if they took it all,” ignited controversy. Although he clarified that Israel is not seeking territorial expansion and is entitled to secure its current borders, his statements were met with swift denunciation from several Arab and Muslim countries.
Outraged by the ambassador’s remarks, countries including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, along with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States, voiced their disapproval.
The Saudi Arabian foreign ministry specifically labeled Huckabee’s comments as “extremist rhetoric” and “unacceptable,” urging the U.S. State Department to provide clarity on its stance regarding the ambassador’s assertions.
His comments sparked immediate backlash from neighboring Egypt and Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry described Huckabee’s comments as “extremist rhetoric” and “unacceptable,” and called for the State Department to clarify its position on them.
Egypt’s foreign ministry called his comments a “blatant violation” of international law, adding that “Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory or other Arab lands.”
“Statements of this nature extremist and lacking any sound basis serve only to inflame sentiments and stir religious and national emotions,” the League of Arab States said.
There was no immediate comment from Israel or the United States.
Since its establishment in 1948, Israel has not had fully recognized borders. Its frontiers with Arab neighbors have shifted as a result of wars, annexations, ceasefires and peace agreements.
During the six-day 1967 Mideast war, Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan, Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt and the Golan Heights from Syria. Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula as part of a peace deal with Egypt following the 1973 Mideast war. It also unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005.
Israel has attempted to deepen control of the occupied West Bank in recent months. It has greatly expanded construction in Jewish settlements, legalized outposts and made significant bureaucratic changes to its policies in the territory. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank and has offered strong assurances that he’d block any move to do so.
Palestinians have for decades called for an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza with east Jerusalem its capital, a claim backed by much of the international community.
Huckabee, an evangelical Christian and strong supporter of Israel and the West Bank settlement movement, has long opposed the idea of a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinian people. In an interview last year, he said he does not believe in referring to the Arab descendants of people who had lived in British-controlled Palestine as “Palestinians.”
In the latest interview, Carlson pressed Huckabee about his interpretation of Bible verses from the book of Genesis, where he said God promised Abraham and his descendants land from the Nile to the Euphrates.
“That would be the Levant, so that would be Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon. It would also be big parts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq,” Carlson said.
Huckabee replied: “Not sure we’d go that far. I mean, it would be a big piece of land.”
Israel has encroached on more land since the start of its war with Hamas in Gaza, which was sparked by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Under the current ceasefire, Israel withdrew its troops to a buffer zone but still controls more than half the territory. Israeli forces are supposed to withdraw further, though the ceasefire deal doesn’t give a timeline.
After Syrian President Bashar Assad was ousted at the end of 2024, Israel’s military seized control of a demilitarized buffer zone in Syria created as part of a 1974 ceasefire between the countries. Israel said the move was temporary and meant to secure its border.
And Israel still occupies five hilltop posts on Lebanese territory following its brief war with Hezbollah in 2024.
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Magdy reported from Cairo.