Several Arab countries on Saturday strongly condemned remarks by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, describing them as “absurd and provocative," unacceptable, and contrary to international law, after he openly accepted Israel’s control over the entire Middle East, including Judea and Samaria.
Huckabee made the comments in an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson on a podcast released Friday, during which he defended Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip and voiced support for the idea of “divine providence" granting Israel control of the region.
Arguing that Israel has a biblical right to land stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates rivers, Huckabee said, “It would be fine if they (Israel) took it all."
After Huckabee asserted Israel’s divine right to vast portions of the Middle East, Carlson asked him, “What land are you talking about?" Interpretations of the biblical phrase “river of Egypt" vary, with some scholars identifying it as a riverbed in the Sinai Peninsula and others as the Nile.
“It would be fine if they took it all," Huckabee replied, referring to Israel’s biblical right to territory stretching from the Nile River to the Euphrates. He stressed, however, that Israel is not seeking to take over the Middle East, but does have a right to live in the land currently under Israeli sovereignty.
In a statement, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry called the remarks “absurd and provocative," saying they “constitute a violation of diplomatic norms, an infringement on the sovereignty of states in the region, and a blatant breach of international law and the UN Charter."
The ministry added that the comments “contradict the publicly declared position of US President Donald Trump rejecting annexation of the occupied West Bank."
Jordan called for “the concerted efforts of all parties to consolidate stability in Gaza and to implement the US president’s plan and UN Security Council Resolution 2803, instead of issuing absurd, escalatory, irresponsible statements that carry no legal value or effect."
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry condemned the statements as a “flagrant departure" from the principles of international law and the UN Charter.
Cairo expressed surprise at the remarks, saying they contradict the vision put forward by President Trump and the related 20-point framework aimed at ending the war in the Gaza Strip, as well as the outcomes of a Board of Peace conference held in Washington this past Thursday.
Egypt reiterated that Israel has no sovereignty over “occupied Palestinian land" or any other Arab territories, stressing its categorical rejection of attempts to annex Judea and Samaria, separate it from the Gaza Strip, or expand “settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory."
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry also condemned “in the strongest terms" and fully rejected Huckabee’s “reckless remarks," saying they violate international law, the UN Charter, and diplomatic norms and set a dangerous precedent when issued by a US official, while dismissing the region’s long-standing relations with the US.
A ministry statement warned that such extremist comments “threaten international peace and security" by antagonizing countries and peoples in the region and undermining the foundations of the international order.
Saudi Arabia called on the US State Department to clarify its position regarding what it described as a rejected proposal and reiterated its firm rejection of any infringement on states’ sovereignty, borders, and territorial integrity.
The statement stressed that the only path to a just and comprehensive peace lies in ending the occupation based on a two-state solution and establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with eastern Jerusalem as its capital.
Oman’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the remarks, describing them as an illegitimate acceptance of imposing control over Arab lands.
Muscat said the comments contradict international law and the UN Charter and warned that such rhetoric undermines prospects for peace and threatens regional security and stability.
The ministry reiterated Oman’s firm support for the Palestinian Arab people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state on the June 4, 1967 borders with eastern Jerusalem as its capital, and for ending the “occupation of all Arab territories."