United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has sparked widespread criticism from Arab and Muslim countries after suggesting Israel has a right to expand its territory across a large swath of the Middle East.
During a sit-down interview with US commentator Tucker Carlson, Huckabee was pressed about the geographical borders of Israel and the Biblical promise of the land spanning the area between the Euphrates River in Iraq and the Nile River in Egypt.
Huckabee stated, 'It would be fine if they took it all,' in reference to Israel expanding its territory, which would encompass modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and parts of Saudi Arabia.
Regional Reaction
Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry described Huckabee's comments as 'extremist rhetoric' and 'unacceptable', calling for the US Department of State to provide clarification.
Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the remarks a 'blatant violation' of international law, adding that 'Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory or other Arab lands.'
Jordan's foreign ministry dismissed them as 'absurd and provocative,' a violation of diplomatic norms and 'an infringement on the sovereignty of states in the region.'
International Context
The US is the only country that recognises Israel's claimed sovereignty over the Syrian territory of the Golan Heights, which it illegally annexed in 1981.
Some Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have openly promoted the idea of a 'Greater Israel' with expanded borders.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States have also condemned Huckabee's comments, calling them 'extremist', 'provocative', and 'not in line with Washington's official position'.
Source: Al Jazeera
