Arab Nations Condemn US Envoy’s Israel Remarks

[Abdulrahmon Mubarak Olayinka]

Arab and Islamic countries have strongly condemned comments made by Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, after he suggested that Israel held a biblical right to a vast portion of Middle Eastern land. His remarks triggered widespread backlash across the region and reignited tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Huckabee made the comments during an appearance on the podcast of far-right commentator Tucker Carlson. During the discussion, Carlson referenced a biblical verse that some interpret as granting Israel land stretching from the Nile River in Egypt to the Euphrates River in Syria and Iraq.

In response, Huckabee stated that it would be "fine if they took it all," though he later described the comment as hyperbolic. He clarified that Israel was not actively seeking to claim all that territory, suggesting his initial statement was exaggerated rather than a formal policy stance.

Despite that clarification, the reaction intensified. On Sunday, more than a dozen Arab and Islamic governments issued a joint statement condemning the remarks as "dangerous and inflammatory." The statement warned that such comments undermine diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions and achieving regional stability.

The joint declaration was released by the United Arab Emirates' foreign ministry and endorsed by countries including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkiye, Pakistan, Indonesia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, and the State of Palestine. Major regional bodies such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League, and the Gulf Cooperation Council also supported the statement.

Individual governments voiced sharp criticism as well. Saudi Arabia described the remarks as reckless and irresponsible, while Jordan called them an assault on regional sovereignty. Egypt reiterated that Israel holds no sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territories or any other Arab land, emphasizing adherence to international law and the UN Charter.

Meanwhile, Iran accused Huckabee of exposing what it called US complicity in Israeli expansionist policies. The Palestinian Authority argued that his comments contradicted previous US positions rejecting annexation of the West Bank. Although Huckabee later clarified other points from the interview, he did not directly revisit his biblical land remarks, leaving the controversy unresolved.

Source: