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Arab nations criticized on Saturday the remarks made by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who appeared to imply in an interview that Israel holds a biblical claim to a large portion of the Middle East. Huckabee, a former Baptist minister and a strong supporter of Israel, was speaking on a podcast hosted by far-right commentator and Israel critic Tucker Carlson.
During the episode released on Friday, Carlson questioned Huckabee about a biblical verse often interpreted as granting Israel rights to land stretching from the Nile in Egypt to the Euphrates in Syria and Iraq. Huckabee responded, “It would be fine if they took it all.” When pressed, he clarified that Israel was “not asking to take all of that,” describing his statement as “somewhat hyperbolic.”
Multiple Arab countries responded sharply. Saudi Arabia called Huckabee’s comments “reckless” and “irresponsible.” Jordan condemned it as “an assault on the sovereignty of the region’s countries.” Kuwait criticized what it called a “blatant breach of international law,” and Oman warned that the remarks could “jeopardize prospects for peace and stability.”
Egypt’s foreign ministry reaffirmed that “Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory or over any other Arab lands.” The Palestinian Authority tweeted that Huckabee’s remarks “contradict US President Donald Trump’s rejection of (Israel’s) annexation of the West Bank.”
On Saturday, Huckabee posted two clarifications on X (formerly Twitter), elaborating on other issues discussed in the interview but not addressing his comment related to the biblical verse. Meanwhile, Israeli parliament speaker Amir Ohana praised Huckabee’s generally pro-Israel stance in the interview and accused Carlson of “dishonest distortions.”
Carter has recently faced accusations of antisemitism, especially after a lengthy interview with Nick Fuentes, a self-described white nationalist who has expressed admiration for Hitler, denied the Holocaust, and accused American Jews of disloyalty.
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