February 22, 2026 | 08:36 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Arab countries on Saturday strongly condemned remarks by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who implied in an interview that Israel has a biblical right to much of the Middle East, according to CNA.
Huckabee, a former Baptist minister and staunch supporter of Israel, was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Israel in April 2025. He spoke with U.S. journalist and Israel critic Tucker Carlson in a podcast episode released Friday, during which Carlson questioned the meaning of a Bible verse sometimes interpreted as granting Israel rights over land stretching from Egypt’s Nile River to the Euphrates in Syria and Iraq.
Responding, Huckabee said, “It would be fine if they took it all”. When pressed further, he added that Israel “not asking to take all of that” and described the initial comment as “somewhat of a hyperbolic statement.”
Regional Outrage
Several Arab nations condemned the diplomat. Saudi Arabia called his comments “reckless” and “irresponsible,” while Jordan described them as “an assault on the sovereignty of the countries of the region”.
Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that Israel “has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory or any other Arab lands”.
The Palestinian Authority echoed the criticism on X (formerly Twitter), stating that Huckabee’s remarks “contradict US President Donald Trump's rejection of (Israel) annexing the West Bank”.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League also denounced Huckabee. Both bodies warned that his comments on Israel’s regional expansion threaten security and stability and could inflame religious and national sentiments.
The OIC described the statements as “dangerous and irresponsible,” calling them an unacceptable call for Israeli territorial expansion, occupation, and seizure of additional Palestinian and Arab land.
The organization added that such extremist rhetoric, rooted in “false historical and ideological claims,” violates sovereignty, diplomatic norms, international law, UN resolutions, and the UN Charter.
It warned that the statements could fuel further extremism and reinforce Israeli policies focused on evictions, settlement expansion, and efforts to enforce annexation in the occupied Palestinian territories, measures that “threatened the prospects for peace and stability in the region”.
The bloc reiterated its strong support for what it described as the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, particularly the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign state on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Arab League Condemns Statement
Separately, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League, denounced Huckabee’s claims as contrary to fundamental diplomatic principles. In a statement on X, he said the remarks contradicted official U.S. policy and appeared aimed at appealing to right-wing groups in Israel.
He warned that extremist statements with no legal or political basisinflame sentiments and stir religious and national emotions” at a time when countries are convening under the Peace Council framework to explore ways to implement the Gaza peace agreement and advance a serious political process.
On Saturday, Huckabee posted two further updates on X clarifying his positions on other topics discussed in the interview but did not address his comments on the biblical verse.
Israeli parliament speaker Amir Ohana praised Huckabee on X for his generally pro-Israel stance during the interview, while accusing Carlson of “falsehoods and manipulations”.
Earlier, in August, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told i24 News that he feels “deeply committed” to the vision of Greater Israel, describing it as a “historic and spiritual mission” for generations of Jews.
The term “Greater Israel” in Israeli politics refers to the expansion of Israeli territory to include the West Bank, Gaza, and Syria’s Golan Heights, with some interpretations extending to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and parts of Jordan.
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