Arab, Muslim nations slam US envoy's Israel land remarks

Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, suggested that Israel holds a biblical entitlement to a large portion of the Middle East.

Arab and Muslim nations on Sunday sharply condemned remarks by the United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee after he suggested Israel could claim large parts of the Middle East based on a biblical reading.

Speaking on the podcast of far-right commentator and frequent Israel critic Tucker Carlson on Friday, Huckabee said, "It would be fine if they took it all."

Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, known as a Christian Zionist and fervent Israel supporter, was responding to Carlson's question about the meaning of a biblical verse sometimes interpreted as saying Israel is entitled to the land between the River Nile in Egypt and the Euphrates in Syria and Iraq.

He later backtracked, saying Israel was "not asking to take all of that," adding: "It was somewhat of a hyperbolic statement."

Strong condemnation from across the Arab and Muslim world

In a joint statement released on Sunday, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian Authority, as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council, denounced the remarks.

They called Huckabee's comments "dangerous and inflammatory."

They said the comments violate the UN Charter and undermine efforts to de-escalate the Gaza war and pursue a comprehensive political solution.

They said Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory and reiterated their rejection of any move to annex the West Bank, separate it from Gaza, or expand settlements.

The Palestinian Authority said on X that Huckabee's words "contradict US President Donald Trump's rejection of (Israel) annexing the West Bank."

In recent months, Israel has expanded its control over the occupied West Bank by accelerating the construction of settlements — widely seen as illegal under international law — retroactively legalizing settler outposts, and adjusting administrative policies.

But Trump has said he will block any Israeli move to annex the territory.

Ever-changing border

Israel has expanded its control over several areas since the war with Hamas in Gaza, which followed the Hamas-led terror attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

Under the current ceasefire, Israeli forces have pulled back to a buffer zone in Gaza but continue to control more than half of the territory. Further withdrawal is stipulated, but no timeline is specified.

After Syrian President Bashar Assad was removed from power in late 2024, Israeli forces took control of a demilitarized zone established under the 1974 Israel-Syria ceasefire, describing the move as temporary and focused on border security.

Israel also continues to hold five hilltop positions on Lebanese territory following its brief conflict with Hezbollah in 2024.

Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez