U.S. Ambassador Huckabee Sparks Regional Uproar With Biblical Land Claim
Huckabee told Tucker Carlson "It would be fine if they took it all," prompting denouncements from Saudi, Egypt, Jordan and the League of Arab States over claims about Israel's territorial rights.
Overview
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee told Tucker Carlson "It would be fine if they took it all" when asked whether Israel had rights to wide parts of the Middle East, prompting sharp condemnation from Arab and Muslim governments.
The exchange invoked a biblical promise of land from the Nile to the Euphrates, which Carlson said corresponds to much of the modern Middle East including Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and parts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
Saudi and Egyptian foreign ministries and Jordan's foreign ministry denounced the remarks, and the League of Arab States said such statements serve only to inflame sentiments and stir religious and national emotions.
Huckabee, whom President Donald Trump nominated as ambassador in 2024, has long opposed a two-state solution, and the International Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory is illegal and must cease.
Huckabee later described his comment as "somewhat of a hyperbolic statement" and said Israel was not looking to expand its territory and has a right to security in the land it legitimately holds.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources foreground outrage with an inflammatory headline ("infuriates") and lead with Arab and Muslim condemnations, then emphasize historical context—Israel's contested borders, settlement expansion and Palestinian claims. By juxtaposing Huckabee’s biblical assertions with regional rebukes and detailed occupation history, editorial choices frame his remarks as inflammatory and out of step with international consensus.
Sources (6)
FAQ
Huckabee referenced Genesis 15, describing God's promise to Abraham of land from the Nile River to the Euphrates River, encompassing much of the modern Middle East including Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and parts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
When asked if Israel had the right to take over the entire region based on the biblical promise, Huckabee responded: 'It would be fine if they took it all,' but later clarified that Israel is not seeking to expand to those borders and has a right to the land it legitimately holds.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the League of Arab States, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the remarks, calling them extremist, provocative, a violation of international law, and inflammatory to religious and national sentiments.
Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, Baptist minister, and evangelical Christian Zionist nominated by President Trump in 2024 as U.S. Ambassador to Israel, has long opposed a two-state solution and refers to the West Bank as Judea and Samaria.
Huckabee described his comment as 'somewhat of a hyperbolic statement,' stating that Israel is not looking to expand its territory and has a right to security in the land it legitimately holds.
History
3 sources