Multiple Arab governments issued sharp condemnations of US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee after he voiced support for Israel’s control over territory across the Middle East, including Judea and Samaria, calling his remarks inflammatory, unlawful, and diplomatically inappropriate.

The controversy followed a podcast interview released Friday in which Huckabee spoke with American journalist Tucker Carlson. During the discussion, he defended Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and expressed belief in what he described as “divine providence” granting Israel authority over the land.

Citing a biblical claim to territory extending from the Nile River to the Euphrates River, Huckabee said, “It would be fine if they (Israel) took it all.”

After Huckabee referenced Israel’s religious claim to the broader region, Carlson pressed him for clarification, asking, “What land are you talking about?” Scholars differ in their interpretation of the biblical term “river of Egypt,” with some identifying it as a wadi in the Sinai Peninsula and others interpreting it as the Nile itself.

BREAKING: US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee tells Tucker Carlson that Israel has the Biblical right to take over all of the Middle East.

“It would be fine if they took it all.” pic.twitter.com/BN4fXh03ga

— Tucker Carlson Network (@TCNetwork) February 20, 2026

Reaffirming his earlier point, Huckabee responded, “It would be fine if they took it all,” again referencing what he described as Israel’s biblical entitlement to land between the Nile and the Euphrates. He added, however, that Israel is not attempting to dominate the entire Middle East, but maintains a right to exist within areas currently under its sovereignty.

Jordan was among the first to react. In an official statement, its Foreign Ministry labeled the ambassador’s remarks “absurd and provocative,” asserting that 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 Jordanian government further stated that Huckabee’s comments “contradict the publicly declared position of US President Donald Trump rejecting annexation of the occupied West Bank.”

Amman 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 also formally protested the remarks. In a statement from its Foreign Ministry, Cairo described the ambassador’s comments as a “flagrant departure” from the principles set out in international law and the UN Charter.

Egyptian officials expressed astonishment at the statements, arguing they conflict with President Trump’s previously outlined vision and the accompanying 20-point framework intended to bring an end to the war in Gaza. They also referenced conclusions reached at a Board of Peace conference in Washington held Thursday.

Cairo reiterated that Israel holds no sovereignty over what it called “occupied Palestinian land” or other Arab territories. It stressed its total opposition to any effort to annex Judea and Samaria, sever it from Gaza, or expand “settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory.”

Saudi Arabia joined the condemnation, with its Foreign Ministry declaring “in the strongest terms” its rejection of what it described as Huckabee’s “reckless remarks.” Riyadh said the statements violate international law, the UN Charter, and diplomatic standards, and warned that such rhetoric from a US official sets a dangerous example while disregarding the region’s long-standing ties with Washington.

In its statement, the Saudi government cautioned that such extreme comments “threaten international peace and security” by provoking tensions among nations and populations in the region and eroding the foundations of the global order.

Riyadh called on the US State Department to clarify its stance on what it characterized as a dismissed proposal and reaffirmed its unwavering opposition to any violation of national sovereignty, territorial boundaries, or state integrity.

The Saudi statement further emphasized that a lasting and comprehensive peace can only be achieved by ending the occupation through a two-state solution and establishing an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 lines with eastern Jerusalem as its capital.

Oman also voiced its objection. Its Foreign Ministry described the ambassador’s comments as an unlawful endorsement of imposing authority over Arab territories.

Muscat said the remarks run counter to international law and the UN Charter and warned that such language damages prospects for peace while jeopardizing stability and security in the region.

The Omani government reaffirmed its steadfast backing of the Palestinian Arab people’s right to self-determination and the creation of an independent state based on the June 4, 1967 borders with eastern Jerusalem as its capital, as well as ending the “occupation of all Arab territories.”

{Matzav.com}