On Saturday, Arab and Muslim nations strongly criticized remarks by the U.S. ambassador to Israel, , who claimed Israel has a right to a large portion of the Middle East.
Huckabee made these comments during an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that aired Friday. Carlson noted that, according to biblical accounts, Abraham’s descendants were promised land that now encompasses nearly the entire Middle East, then asked Huckabee if Israel had a right to that territory.
Huckabee responded: “It would be fine if they took it all.” He added, however, that Israel is not seeking to expand its territory and has a right to security in the land it lawfully holds.
His statements triggered an immediate backlash from neighboring Egypt and Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the League of Arab States—each issuing separate statements labeling the comments as extremist, provocative, and inconsistent with U.S. policy.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry described Huckabee’s remarks as “extremist rhetoric” and “unacceptable,” and called on the State Department to clarify its position on them.
Egypt’s foreign ministry deemed his comments a “blatant violation” of international law, adding that “Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territory or other Arab lands.”
“Statements of this nature—extremist and lacking any valid basis—only serve to inflame tensions and stir religious and national emotions,” the League of Arab States stated.
Neither Israel nor the United States had issued an immediate comment at the time of reporting.
Since its establishment in 1948, Israel has not had fully recognized borders. Its frontiers with Arab neighbors as a result of wars, annexations, ceasefires and peace agreements.
During the , 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 following the 1973 Mideast war. It also in 2005.
Israel has attempted to of the occupied West Bank in recent months. It has greatly expanded construction in , legalized outposts, and made significant bureaucratic changes to its policies in the territory. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he to annex the West Bank and has offered strong assurances that he would block any such move.
Palestinians have for decades advocated for an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza, with east Jerusalem as its capital—a claim backed by much of the international community.
Huckabee has long opposed the two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinian people. In an interview last year, he said he when referring to the Arab descendants of those who lived in British-controlled Palestine as “Palestinians.”
In the latest interview, Carlson pressed Huckabee about his interpretation of Genesis verses, where he claimed God promised Abraham and his descendants land from the Nile to the Euphrates.
“That would be the Levant—so Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon. It would also include large 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 seized additional land since the start of its war with Hamas in Gaza.
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 does not specify a timeline.
After Syrian President Bashar at the end of 2024, Israel’s military took 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 intended to secure its border.
Additionally, Israel still occupies five hilltop posts on Lebanese territory following its brief 2024 war with Hezbollah.
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Magdy reported from Cairo.