Get you up to speed: US Ambassador Mike Huckabee Faces Arab Nations’ Backlash Over Israel Comments
Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, stated in an interview that it “would be fine” if Israel took control of most of the Middle East. Huckabee’s comments drew condemnation from multiple Arab nations and organizations.
The comments made by Mike Huckabee have drawn condemnation from multiple Arab nations, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, with Egypt’s foreign ministry labeling them a “blatant violation” of international law. Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry has described Huckabee’s remarks as “extremist rhetoric” and is urging the U.S. State Department to clarify its stance.
The Saudi foreign ministry has formally called on the U.S. State Department to clarify its position regarding Huckabee’s comments, labeling them as “extremist rhetoric.” No immediate response has been provided by the U.S. or Israel to these diplomatic protests.
What we know so far
US ambassador Mike Huckabee sparks backlash from Arab nations with Israel remarks
Multiple Arab nations have condemned the US ambassador to Israel after he said “it would be fine” if Tel Aviv took control of almost all of the Middle East.
In an interview published on Friday, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson pressed Mike Huckabee on his interpretation of Bible verses, where he said God promised Abraham and his descendants land that would today include “basically the entire Middle East”.
“That would be the Levant, so that would be Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon,” Carlson said. “It would also be big parts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.”
The ambassador replied: “I’m not sure we’d go that far. I mean, it would be a big piece of land.”
Carlson then asked if Israel had a right to control that entire area, to which Mr Huckabee responded: “It would be fine if they took it all.”
The Donald Trump-appointed ambassador added, however, that Israel was not looking to expand its territory and that it has a right to security in the land it legitimately holds.
Image: Mike Huckabee on a visit to the occupied West Bank in July last year. Pic: AP
The comments sparked an immediate backlash from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman, as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States.
Egypt’s foreign ministry called Mr Huckabee’s remarks a “blatant violation” of international law, adding: “Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory or other Arab lands.”
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry labelled the comments as “extremist rhetoric” and “unacceptable”, and has called for the US state department to clarify its position on them.
The League of Arab States, a confederation of 22 countries, said: “Statements of this nature – extremist and lacking any sound basis – serve only to inflame sentiments and stir religious and national emotions.”
There was no immediate comment from Israel or the United States.
Inside an illegal Israeli outpost – Which is stolen Palestinian land
Since being established in 1948, Israel has not had fully recognised borders, and its frontiers with Arab neighbours have often shifted after wars, annexations, ceasefires and peace agreements.
Israel has taken more land after the ceasefire
Israel has encroached on more land since the start of its war in Gaza, which was sparked by the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023.
Under the current ceasefire, Israel has withdrawn its troops in Gaza to a buffer zone, but it still controls more than half of the enclave. Israeli forces are supposed to withdraw further, but there is currently no timeline for this.
In Syria, Israel’s military seized control of a demilitarised buffer zone after President Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power at the end of 2024. Israel said the move was temporary and meant to secure its border.
Control more of the occupied West Bank
It has also attempted to deepen control of the occupied West Bank in recent months by greatly expanding construction in Jewish settlements and legalising outposts.
Image: An Israeli soldier walks past a military vehicle in the southern Gaza Strip in December.
Mr Huckabee, an evangelical Christian and strong supporter of Israel and the West Bank settlement movement, has long opposed 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”, but does believe that Jewish people from Poland, USA and Germany are the true owners of the land.