US Ambassador's Biblical Land Claims Spark 15-Nation Middle East Backlash

Mike Huckabee's suggestion that Israel could rightfully claim vast Middle Eastern territories based on Biblical grounds has drawn condemnation from Arab and Muslim governments.

A single Bible verse has reignited one of the world's most sensitive geopolitical flashpoints. Mike Huckabee, the US Ambassador to Israel, suggested that Israel would be justified in claiming vast swaths of the Middle East based on Biblical grounds—a comment that has now drawn condemnation from 15 Arab and Muslim nations.

When Scripture Meets Statecraft

During an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, Huckabee was pressed about Israel's Biblical right to territory stretching from Egypt's Nile River to Syria and Iraq's Euphrates River. His response? "It would be fine if it took it all."

Huckabee quickly clarified that Israel isn't seeking such expansion, but rather "asking to at least take the land that they now occupy" to protect its people. He later described his "take it all" remark as somewhat "hyperbolic," but the diplomatic damage was already done.

The territory in question represents an enormous chunk of the Middle East—what Huckabee himself called "a big piece of land." It would encompass parts of modern-day Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and other Arab territories.

A Unified Arab Response

The reaction was swift and unprecedented in its scope. A joint statement from governments including Jordan, Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan—along with the Arab League, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and Gulf Cooperation Council—condemned the remarks as "dangerous and inflammatory."

The statement accused Huckabee of indicating "that it would be acceptable for Israel to exercise control over territories belonging to Arab states, including the occupied West Bank." More pointedly, they argued his comments directly contradicted President Donald Trump's stated plan to end the Gaza war through comprehensive settlement, including "a political horizon" for Palestinian statehood.

The 15-nation coalition emphasized that "Israel has no sovereignty whatsoever over the Occupied Palestinian Territory or any other occupied Arab lands," rejecting any attempts at West Bank annexation or settlement expansion.

The Settlement Reality

Huckabee's comments aren't emerging in a vacuum. Since Israel's occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war, it has built approximately 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jewish residents. These communities exist alongside an estimated 3.3 million Palestinians.

The settlements are considered illegal under international law—a position reinforced by the International Court of Justice in 2024. Yet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the court's ruling as a "decision of lies," insisting that "the Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land."

Settlement expansion has accelerated dramatically since Netanyahu returned to power in late 2022 with a right-wing, pro-settler coalition, and even more so after Hamas's deadly October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the current Gaza war.

The Diplomatic Tightrope

Huckabee's long-standing support for West Bank annexation puts him at odds with decades of US policy. His appointment as ambassador already signaled a potential shift in American Middle East strategy, but these latest remarks suggest an even more dramatic departure from traditional diplomatic norms.

The timing is particularly sensitive. With more than 72,000 Palestinians killed in Israel's subsequent military offensive in Gaza, according to Hamas-run health authorities, the region remains a powder keg. Arab nations are watching closely to see whether Trump's administration will genuinely pursue the "comprehensive settlement" it has promised.

The Bigger Picture

This controversy illuminates a fundamental tension in American foreign policy: the balance between religious conviction, geopolitical pragmatism, and international law. Huckabee's comments reflect a strand of evangelical Christian thinking that sees modern Israel through Biblical prophecy, but such perspectives clash sharply with diplomatic realities and regional stability.

The unified Arab response also demonstrates how quickly inflammatory rhetoric can undermine peace efforts. These 15 nations don't agree on much, yet they found common ground in condemning what they see as a threat to Palestinian aspirations and regional sovereignty.