Seyit Kurt
22 February 2026•Update: 22 February 2026
- 14 countries, including Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, voice 'strong condemnation and profound concern'
ISTANBUL
Fourteen countries and three regional organizations on Sunday condemned remarks by Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, who said "it would be acceptable for Israel to exercise control over territories belonging to Arab states, including the occupied West Bank."
In a joint statement, the foreign ministries of Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Indonesia, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar, Oman, Pakistan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates expressed “strong condemnation and profound concern” over the comments.
The statement was also issued with the participation of the secretariats of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the League of Arab States, and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The ministries described the US envoy’s remarks as “dangerous and inflammatory,” saying they constitute “a flagrant violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations” and pose a grave threat to regional security and stability.
They said the comments directly contradict the vision put forward by US President Donald Trump and the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, which is based on containing escalation and creating a political horizon for a comprehensive settlement that ensures the Palestinian people have their own independent state.
The signatories said "the plan is grounded in promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence," warning that attempts "to legitimize control over the lands of others undermine these objectives, fuel tensions," and amount to incitement rather than advancing peace.
The ministries "reaffirmed that Israel has no sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory or any other occupied Arab lands," the statement noted. "They reiterated their firm rejection of any attempts to annex the West Bank or separate it from the Gaza Strip, their strong opposition to the expansion of settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and their categorical rejection of any threat to the sovereignty of Arab states."
The statement warned that "the continuation of Israel’s expansionist policies and unlawful measures will only inflame violence and conflict in the region and undermine prospects for peace."
The signatories called for an end to what they termed "incendiary statements" and reiterated their "commitment to the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to the establishment of an independent state" along the June 4, 1967 lines, as well as to ending the occupation of all Arab lands.
US envoy defends expansive Israeli territorial claims
Mike Huckabee, named US ambassador to Israel in April 2025, is an evangelical Christian who has previously spoken of expansionist claims based on what he described as a “divine right” for Israel in the West Bank.
He argued that Israel has a "biblical right" to the land stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates rivers, saying on a podcast released Friday: "It would be fine if they (Israel) took it all.”
Huckabee made the remarks in an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson, during which he defended Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip and voiced support for the idea of “divine providence” giving control of the region to Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told news channel i24 last August that he feels “very attached” to the vision of a Greater Israel. He said he considers himself “on a historic and spiritual mission” including “generations of Jews that dreamt of coming here and generations of Jews who will come after us.”
Greater Israel is a term used in Israeli politics to refer to the expansion of Israel’s territory to include the West Bank, Gaza, and Syria’s Golan Heights, with some interpretations also including Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and parts of Jordan.
