US envoy sparks row by claiming Israel has a right to much of Middle East; 14 Arab nations hit back

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee drew condemnation from 14 Arab nations after agreeing with a biblical notion about Israel’s right to control Arab lands.

Huckabee made the remarks in an interview on Friday with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Referring to a biblical verse describing Israel’s region as extending between the Euphrates River in Iraq and the Nile in Egypt, Carlson raised the idea of Israel controlling the entire area. Huckabee replied, “It would be fine if they (Israel) took it all.”




In a joint statement issued Saturday night from Doha, the foreign ministries of Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria and the State of Palestine described the comments as “dangerous and inflammatory.” They expressed “profound concern” and “strong condemnation,” saying the remarks suggested “it would be acceptable for Israel to exercise control over territories belonging to Arab states, including the occupied West Bank.”

The signatories said they “categorically rejected” the statements and affirmed that “Israel has no sovereignty whatsoever over the Occupied Palestinian Territory or any other occupied Arab lands.” They added that such remarks were a “flagrant violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations” and “pose a grave threat to the security and stability of the region.”

Huckabee later moderated his stance, calling his earlier remark “somewhat of a hyperbolic statement” and saying Israel was “not asking to take all of that.” He added that Israel is not seeking to enlarge its current territory and has a right to security within the land it currently holds.

Despite the clarification, the ministries called for “an end to these incendiary statements,” warning that remarks seeking to “legitimise control over the lands of others” fuel tensions rather than advancing peace.

They also warned that “the continuation of Israel's expansionist policies and unlawful measures will only inflame violence and conflict in the region” and “undermine the prospects for peace,” stressing that the territory described in the interview would include modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and parts of Saudi Arabia.

The ministries further said the comments “directly contradict the vision put forward by US President Donald Trump, as well as the US Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict,” which they said aim to contain escalation and create a political horizon for an independent Palestinian state.