Arab and Muslim governments have strongly condemned remarks by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Huckabee suggested Israel would be justified in taking over a vast stretch of the Middle East based on Biblical claims. When pressed on interpretation of scripture suggesting Israel has rights to land between the Nile and Euphrates, Huckabee stated, "it would be fine if it took it all." He later clarified his remarks as "hyperbolic," asserting Israel primarily seeks to "take the land that they now occupy" and ensure its safety.
A joint statement from over a dozen nations, including Jordan, Egypt, and the UAE, labeled the comments "dangerous and inflammatory" and a threat to peace efforts in Gaza. The statement, released by the UAE's foreign ministry, expressed "strong condemnation and profound concern," asserting that Huckabee "indicated that it would be acceptable for Israel to exercise control over territories belonging to Arab states, including the occupied West Bank." This directly contradicts international law and US policy aimed at a two-state solution. The signatories reaffirmed that Israel holds no sovereignty over occupied Arab lands and reiterated opposition to annexation and settlement expansion.