Arab, Muslim nations condemn ‘inflammatory’ remarks by US ambassador to Israel

Several Arab and Islamic countries, alongside major regional organisations, have issued a joint condemnation of comments by Mike Huckabee, after he suggested it “would be fine” if Israel took control of a vast swath of the Middle East.

The remarks, described as “dangerous and inflammatory,” were made during a podcast interview with far-right commentator Tucker Carlson and have triggered widespread diplomatic backlash across the region.

In a joint statement released on Sunday by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more than a dozen governments rejected the comments as a violation of international law and the United Nations Charter. Signatories included Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria and the State of Palestine, as well as three major regional bodies — the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The statement reaffirmed that Israel has “no sovereignty whatsoever” over the Occupied Palestinian Territory or any other occupied Arab lands, and warned that such rhetoric undermines efforts to de-escalate the Gaza war and advance a comprehensive political settlement.

Individual states also issued strong responses. Saudi Arabia described the comments as “reckless and irresponsible,” Jordan said they constituted “an assault on the sovereignty of the countries of the region,” while Kuwait called them a “flagrant violation of international law.” Oman warned they threatened regional peace and stability, and Egypt reiterated that Israel holds no sovereignty over occupied Arab territories.

The Palestinian Authority said the remarks contradicted Donald Trump’s stated opposition to Israel annexing the West Bank. Iran’s foreign ministry also accused Huckabee of exposing “American active complicity” in what it described as Israel’s expansionist policies.

Huckabee later posted clarifications on social media about other issues raised in the interview but did not directly address the biblical reference that sparked the backlash. Meanwhile, Amir Ohana, speaker of the Israeli parliament, praised Huckabee’s pro-Israel stance and criticised Carlson for what he called “falsehoods and manipulations.”