Overview
- In a Friday interview with Tucker Carlson about a literal Genesis land promise, Mike Huckabee said it would be okay if Israel "took everything."
- Saudi Arabia published a joint statement on X with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council condemning the comment and expressing deep concern.
- Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine joined the coordinated rebuke.
- Huckabee later called the line hyperbole and said Israel seeks no expansion, while no immediate formal comment from Israel or the United States was reported.
- The backlash comes as Israel expands settlement activity and has advanced a proposal to ease settlers’ land purchases in the West Bank, a step criticized by Germany and other governments.