By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: A coalition of 14 Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, issued a sharp rebuke on Sunday to comments by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who suggested in a recent interview that he would not object to Israel claiming vast territories across the Middle East based on biblical boundaries.
The joint statement, signed by foreign ministers from the group and endorsed by regional organisations such as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the League of Arab States and the Gulf Cooperation Council, described Huckabee’s words as “dangerous and inflammatory,” warning that they risked undermining regional stability and contradicting U.S. efforts to broker peace in the Gaza conflict.
Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and staunch conservative known for his pro-Israel views, made the remarks during a Friday interview with Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host. When pressed on Israel’s current borders, Huckabee asserted that they were rooted in scripture. Carlson pointed out that the biblical description extended from the Euphrates River in Iraq to the Nile in Egypt, prompting Huckabee to respond, “It would be fine if they took it all.”
The ambassador’s comments drew immediate backlash, with the signatories expressing “profound concern” and affirming their “categorical rejection” of statements they said violated international law and the United Nations Charter. They argued that such rhetoric posed a “grave threat” to security in an already volatile region.
The statement emphasised that Huckabee’s views clashed with the peace framework advanced by President Donald Trump, including the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict. That initiative, the ministers noted, focused on de-escalation and paving the way for a comprehensive settlement that would grant Palestinians an independent state. Remarks implying legitimacy for controlling others’ lands, they added, instead promoted incitement, fueled tensions and eroded goals of tolerance and coexistence.
Reaffirming long-standing positions, the countries declared that Israel possesses “no sovereignty whatsoever” over the Occupied Palestinian Territory or any other occupied Arab lands. They voiced firm opposition to any efforts to annex the West Bank, disconnect it from the Gaza Strip, expand settlement activities or infringe on the sovereignty of Arab states.
The ministers cautioned that Israel’s “expansionist policies” and “unlawful measures” would only heighten violence and conflict, diminishing hopes for peace. They urged an immediate halt to such “incendiary statements” and reiterated their unwavering support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, including the creation of an independent state based on the June 4, 1967, lines and the termination of occupation across all Arab territories.
The condemnation comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions, following Israel’s recent decision earlier this month to register lands in the West Bank—a move widely interpreted by Muslim states and the Palestinian Authority as a step toward annexation. That action prompted earlier outcry from several of the same nations, which appealed to the international community to intervene and curb what they termed “illegal settlement” expansion.
The full list of participating countries includes Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Kuwait, Oman, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine. Their unified response shows a broader unease among Arab and Islamic nations about U.S. diplomatic signals amid ongoing strife in the region. Huckabee’s tenure as ambassador has been marked by his vocal advocacy for Israel, often drawing on his evangelical Christian background to frame policy discussions
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