BY Rosemary
A diplomatic storm intensified Sunday after U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in a televised interview that Israel would be justified in claiming much of the Middle East under a biblical interpretation of territorial promise, prompting sharp condemnation from Arab and Muslim nations and a clarification from U.S. officials that his comments do not reflect a shift in American policy.
Huckabee made the remarks during a conversation with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, in an interview that aired Friday. Carlson cited the Book of Genesis, specifically Chapter 15, which describes a covenant in which the descendants of Abraham are promised land stretching across territory that today includes parts of Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. He asked Huckabee whether Israel, based on that scriptural passage, has a right to those lands.
“It would be fine if they took it all,” Huckabee replied.
The statement immediately drew criticism across the Middle East, where governments warned that such rhetoric risks inflaming an already volatile region. By Sunday, a broad coalition of countries had issued a joint statement condemning the ambassador’s remarks as “dangerous and inflammatory.”
Signatories included Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Syria, Lebanon, and Oman, among others, as well as representatives of the Palestinian Authority and several regional governing bodies.
The statement argued that Huckabee’s comments undermine diplomatic efforts aimed at stabilizing the region and contradict the broader framework advanced by President Donald Trump. It said the remarks run counter to efforts focused on de-escalation and the pursuit of a comprehensive political settlement that would include the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem said Sunday that Huckabee’s comments were taken out of context and emphasized that there has been no change in official U.S. policy toward Israel or the broader Middle East. The United States has historically supported a negotiated resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, though policy emphases have shifted across administrations.
In the same interview, Huckabee appeared to temper his earlier remark, saying Israel is not seeking to reclaim all lands described in biblical accounts. “They’re not asking to go back and take all of that,” he said, adding that Israel is focused on maintaining territory it currently occupies and considers legitimate and essential for its security. He stressed that Israel is not attempting to take over neighboring countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Syria or Iraq, but rather to protect its own citizens.
Huckabee, an evangelical Christian and longtime supporter of Israel and the Jewish settlement movement in the West Bank, has previously opposed a two-state solution. His views align with a segment of American Christian conservatives who interpret biblical scripture as conferring a modern territorial claim to Israel.
Carlson, for his part, has frequently criticized U.S. military and financial support for Israel during the ongoing war in Gaza. He has also drawn controversy for comments that critics describe as aligned with far-right ideology.
The controversy over Huckabee’s remarks comes at a particularly tense moment in the region. Israeli officials are bracing for the possibility of direct confrontation with Iran, which has warned that it would target both Israel and U.S. military installations in the Middle East if Washington launches an attack against Tehran.
On Friday, Trump said limited strikes against Iran remain a possibility, even as diplomatic channels continue to operate. Iran’s top diplomat indicated that Tehran expects to present a proposed agreement within days following recent nuclear talks with the United States.
Meanwhile, U.S. military assets have shifted in the region. The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford has been positioned near the eastern Mediterranean, and additional American warships and aircraft have been deployed. While officials say these movements do not guarantee imminent military action, they enhance Washington’s operational flexibility should a strike be ordered.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned last week that any Iranian attack would provoke a response “that they cannot even imagine,” underscoring the high stakes of any miscalculation.
Tensions between Israel and Iran escalated sharply last year when Israeli forces launched strikes on Iranian targets during a period of indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran. The exchange of fire expanded into a 12-day conflict that saw the United States intervene directly with airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Against this backdrop of military maneuvering and diplomatic fragility, Huckabee’s comments have added another layer of complexity to an already combustible regional landscape. While U.S. officials insist that American policy remains unchanged, the reaction across the Middle East illustrates how sensitive theological language can become when intertwined with modern geopolitics.
Original article
Comments