In recent days, senior officials from the Trump administration have reached out to several Arab nations to alleviate concerns following Mike Huckabee’s claims that Israel has the right to occupy a significant portion of the Middle East. During these discussions, officials including Chris Landau and Alison Hooker, U.S. Deputy Secretaries of State, clarified that Huckabee’s remarks in an interview with Tucker Carlson reflect his personal views and do not indicate a shift in U.S. policy.
Huckabee’s interview sparked outrage among Arab and Muslim countries. In a recently aired segment, Carlson questioned Huckabee on whether Israel has the right to claim an area that essentially encompasses the entire Middle East. Huckabee responded affirmatively, suggesting that if Israel were to seize all of it, that would be acceptable.Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE jointly condemned Huckabee’s assertions, labeling them ‘dangerous and incendiary’ and entirely contradictory to Trump’s plans for Gaza. Huckabee’s extreme views undermine peace efforts; President Donald Trump himself expressed concerns earlier this month about Israel’s renewed attempts to annex Palestinian land in the West Bank, stating, ‘I oppose annexation.’
However, Huckabee seems to hold a different perspective, which he made clear in his recent interview. Alarmingly, he not only referenced the West Bank but also mentioned Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and parts of Saudi Arabia, claiming that Israel’s entitlement to such a vast region is rooted in biblical texts. He argued that Israel deserves commendation for not exercising its claims over independent nations, many of which existed before the establishment of the state of Israel, and for limiting its appetite to Palestinian territories.Huckabee’s statements were swiftly condemned by dozens of countries. As a staunch Zionist, he openly expresses extremist beliefs, but as the U.S. ambassador, he is revealing an extremely irresponsible stance that undermines U.S. foreign policy in the region and endangers Palestinian lives. A tragic example of this reality occurred just two days before Huckabee’s interview, when Israeli settlers fatally shot a 19-year-old Palestinian-American near Ramallah in the West Bank. This young man is at least the sixth American citizen killed by settlers or Israeli soldiers in the region over the past two years.
Huckabee’s reckless position endangers Palestinian lives and should raise alarms at the White House. Trump and American diplomats have tirelessly worked for months to establish a Peace Council, an oversight body tasked with ending the war in Gaza and facilitating the reconstruction of Palestinian lands. Last Friday, this council announced it had raised $17 billion for these efforts, including $1.2 billion from the UAE. The U.S. government has presented its Gaza plan as a crucial step towards reviving Palestinian governance.In truth the region cannot achieve stability without the recognition of internationally recognized borders by Israel and without Palestinian independence there can be no revival for the Palestinian people. American officials have elaborated on the necessity of curbing extremism in Gaza as a prerequisite for this yet they have said little about the extremism of the Israeli regime which has seen its far-right factions undertaking unprecedented efforts to expand its territory in the name of religion.
It may be increasingly difficult for Washington to halt such a project when its own ambassador is eagerly facilitating it.
