US Envoy draws backlash over claim Israel has right to control Mideast

Arab and Muslim nations on Saturday sharply condemned comments by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who said Israel has a right to much of the Middle East. Huckabee made the comments in an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson. Carlson said that according to the Bible, the descendants of Abraham would receive land that today would include essentially the entire Middle East, and asked Huckabee if Israel had a right to that land. Huckabee responded: “It would be fine if they took it all." Huckabee added, however, that Israel was not looking to expand its territory and has a right to security in the land it legitimately holds.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee speaks to Tucker Carlson about what lands Israel 'has a right to'

'It includes the Levant, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, big parts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq'

'It'd be fine if they took it all' pic.twitter.com/MNjBI73b79

— RT (@RT_com) February 20, 2026

His comments sparked immediate backlash from neighbouring Egypt and Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States. Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry described Huckabee's comments as “extremist rhetoric” and “unacceptable,” and called for the State Department to clarify its position on them.
Egypt's foreign ministry called his comments a “blatant violation” of international law, adding that “Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory or other Arab lands.” “Statements of this nature — extremist and lacking any sound basis — serve only to inflame sentiments and stir religious and national emotions,” the League of Arab States said. “Such extremist and baseless statements inflame religious and nationalistic sentiments at a time when Arab states are meeting under the auspices of the Board of Peace to discuss ways to implement the Gaza peace agreement and seize this opportunity to launch a serious peace process,” it added.
The Palestinian Authority said that Huckabee’s words “contradict US President Donald Trump’s rejection of [Israel] annexing the West Bank.” Kuwait decried what it called a “flagrant violation of the principles of international law,” while Oman said the comments “threatened the prospects for peace” and stability in the region.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which is made up of 57 mostly Muslim-majority nations, including the entire Arab League, issued a similar statement, saying it “condemns the dangerous and irresponsible” comments made by Huckabee. The OIC said the US envoy’s comments were “an unacceptable call for the expansion of Israel” that were “based on a false and rejected historical and ideological narrative.” There was no immediate comment from Israel or the United States.