Gain access to the White House Watch newsletter without charge
An overview of what Trump’s second term implies for Washington, commerce, and the global arena
Arab and Muslim nations expressed strong indignation after America’s envoy to Israel informed a reporter that it “would be acceptable” if Israel assumed control of a vast area within the Middle East.
Mike Huckabee, a deeply religious evangelical Christian, uttered these remarks in a discussion alongside the conservative American pundit Tucker Carlson, who inquired about a scriptural passage that outlined God’s pledge to Abraham’s descendants the territory situated between “the Wadi of Egypt” and the Euphrates.
When questioned about whether Israel possessed a claim to this land, which encompasses a significant part of the contemporary Middle East, including portions of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, Huckabee declared, “it would be acceptable should they seize the entirety of it.”
The ambassador subsequently recanted, characterizing his assertion as “rather . . . overblown”, and further stated that Israel held no ambition to seize control of the remainder of the territory mentioned in the biblical verse.
Nevertheless, his pronouncement — which occurred amidst elevated regional strain and increasing apprehension of conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran — provoked indignant responses from throughout the area.
The League of Arab States, comprising 22 Arab nations, denounced Huckabee’s comments on Saturday as “radical and devoid of any logical foundation”.
It further stated that his observations would “exacerbate passions” and “arouse spiritual and patriotic fervor” during a period when the US was endeavoring to collaborate with countries in the region to facilitate an enduring resolution following the two-year conflict involving Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The Islamic Cooperation Organization, comprising 57 predominantly Muslim nations, likewise denounced Huckabee’s comments. It characterized them as “an intolerable demand for Israel’s enlargement, the occupying authority, and its appropriation of additional Palestinian and Arab territories founded upon an erroneous and discredited historical and philosophical account”.
This is not the initial instance that Huckabee has expressed endorsement for stances markedly distinct from conventional American diplomatic strategy in the Middle East.
The US capital has historically supported a two-entity resolution for the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, encompassing the creation of a Palestinian nation. President Donald Trump has also said he would resist any Israeli endeavor to incorporate the West Bank, which Palestinians envision as the core of a prospective nation, but which Israel has been under occupation for nearly six decades.
Huckabee, conversely, has expressed skepticism regarding the idea of a two-state solution, and even rejected the concept of a distinct Palestinian identity.
The clergyman of the Southern Baptist denomination also designates the West Bank as “Judea and Samaria” — the scriptural appellation preferred by Jewish inhabitants — and declines to label Israel’s presence within the region as an act of occupation.
America’s Department of State offered no immediate reply to an inquiry for commentary regarding Huckabee’s statements.