The United States ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has claimed that Israel holds a biblical right to territory stretching from the Euphrates River to the Nile, asserting that it is entitled to claim land across large parts of the Middle East. His remarks were made during a lengthy interview with right-wing US commentator Tucker Carlson, published on Friday, in which Huckabee also defended Israel’s killing of Palestinian children in Gaza.
Huckabee based his argument on a Christian Zionist interpretation of Genesis 15:18, which states: “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.’” Christian Zionism’s most prominent interpretations hold that Jewish control of this territory represents a divine promise that must be fulfilled to enable the return of Christ — a belief widely rejected by many Christian leaders globally.
Commenting on Huckabee’s claims, Carlson noted that such an interpretation would allow Israel to assert rights over much of the Middle East, including Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and parts of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Asked directly whether Israel had a right to such land, Huckabee replied, “I don’t have a problem if they took it,” before adding that Israel was not currently seeking such expansion and had previously relinquished territory, citing its withdrawal from Sinai in the 1970s.
The interview, which trended widely on X in the United States, saw Huckabee argue that Washington must “bless Israel” in order to receive God’s blessing, citing the biblical passage: “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.” He claimed that the “Israel” referenced in scripture refers to the modern Israeli state — an interpretation disputed by many Christian theologians. Huckabee repeatedly described Israelis as “God’s chosen people.”
From the outset of the interview, Huckabee appeared as an unwavering defender of Israel, including its policies in Gaza and its attacks on Christian churches in Palestine. He described the Israeli army as “the most moral military in the world,” prompting Carlson to challenge him over what he described as loyalty to Israel over the United States. Carlson also criticized Huckabee for ranking the Israeli military above the US armed forces, an assertion Huckabee denied making.
Huckabee further claimed that Jews have lived continuously on the land for 3,800 years, defining those entitled to live there as people who speak Hebrew, worship the same God, follow the same scripture, and pray toward Jerusalem. When Carlson questioned the evidence that today’s Jews are the rightful inheritors of the land, Huckabee broadened his definition to include anyone who belongs to Jewish culture or converts to Judaism.
Carlson dismantled much of Huckabee’s narrative, rejecting claims of a divine or legal right to the land and questioning whether such principles could be applied universally to other nations. He challenged Huckabee on Israel’s borders, the rights of Jews who convert to other religions, and the contradictions within Israel’s own legal framework.
When Huckabee argued that international law supported Israel’s claims, citing the Balfour Declaration, Carlson countered that it was not international law but a colonial declaration issued by Britain. Huckabee insisted that Jews were entitled to the land due to ancient ties, to which Carlson replied that colonial power, not law, had determined the outcome.
Carlson also noted that historical records do not show the ancestors of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu living in Palestine, pointing out that Netanyahu’s family originated in Europe. He questioned how modern Israelis could be directly linked to those described in biblical promises, given linguistic, cultural, and religious discontinuities, and the secular nature of many of Israel’s founders.
The debate extended to identity itself, with Carlson asking whether Jewishness is an ethnic or religious category. Huckabee responded that it is both, arguing it cannot be separated from religion — a position Carlson suggested undermines claims of purely religious entitlement.
Carlson also cited an Israeli Supreme Court ruling denying the right of return to Iraqi Jews who converted to Christianity, highlighting contradictions in Israel’s treatment of religious identity. Huckabee claimed to know Christian Jews living in Israel but admitted uncertainty about the legal framework.
The interview also included criticism of Israel’s treatment of Christians. Carlson noted that many Christians were displaced when Israel took control of the land. Huckabee rejected claims of discrimination, citing population growth among Christians inside Israel, while accusing Arab states of persecuting Christians.
Jordan Condemns Huckabee’s Remarks
Jordan formally condemned Huckabee’s comments suggesting it would be acceptable for Israel to control the entire Middle East, including the occupied West Bank. Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ambassador Fouad Al-Majali described the remarks as “provocative and absurd,” saying they violate diplomatic norms, undermine regional sovereignty, and contradict international law and the UN Charter.
Al-Majali reaffirmed that the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip are occupied Palestinian territories under international law. He stressed that ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state on all occupied territory, based on the two-state solution, is the only path to a just and lasting peace.
He also urged international efforts to focus on stabilizing Gaza and implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2803, rather than issuing what he described as legally baseless and irresponsible statements.
