In an interview with conservative American commentator Tucker Carlson, Huckabee was asked whether Israel has a right to an area that, according to the Bible, “practically encompasses the entire Middle East.”
The ambassador replied that “it wouldn’t be a problem if he took over everything”, but added that Israel is not asking for that, but “at least to keep the land it is now occupying” and protect its people, writes the BBC.
In a joint statement, more than a dozen governments, including Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, called the comments “dangerous and inflammatory” and a threat to efforts to end the war in Gaza.
Huckabee later clarified that his statement was “somewhat hyperbolic,” but insisted that Israel legitimately owns the land it lives on.
The UAE issued a joint statement on behalf of several countries and organizations, expressing strong condemnation and deep concern. It states that Huckabee “indicated that it would be acceptable for Israel to take over the territories of Arab states, including the occupied West Bank.”
The statement stressed that such positions violate international law and directly contradict US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza, which includes creating a “political horizon for a comprehensive solution that provides the Palestinians with their own independent state.”
The document was signed by 14 countries, including the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine, as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Huckabee has previously expressed support for Israel’s annexation of the occupied West Bank, which contradicts decades of US policy.
Since 1967, Israel has built about 160 settlements where about 700,000 Jews live in the territory of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, where about 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside them.
In 2024, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion that the settlements are illegal under international law. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the court’s opinion.
(Vijesti.ba / Fena)
