It’ll be ‘fine’ if Israel expands across Middle East, says US envoy

In a televised conversation that quickly reverberated across diplomatic circles, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee suggested he would not object if Israel were to take “most of the Middle East”, invoking what he described as the Jewish people’s biblical right to the land, the Al Jazeera reported.

Speaking in an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that aired on Friday, Huckabee was pressed about Israel’s geographic boundaries — boundaries he argued are rooted not merely in modern treaties, but in scripture. Carlson cited a biblical verse promising land to the descendants of Abraham, stretching from the Euphrates River in Iraq to the Nile River in Egypt — a vast expanse that would encompass present-day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and parts of Saudi Arabia.

“It would be fine if they took it all,” Huckabee said, in a remark that appeared to momentarily stun Carlson. When asked directly whether he would approve of Israel expanding over the entire region, Huckabee responded, “They don’t want to take it over. They’re not asking to take it over.”

Later, the ambassador — appointed by President Donald Trump — appeared to soften his tone, describing the earlier comment as “somewhat of a hyperbolic statement”. Yet he left open the possibility of territorial expansion in the context of war. “If they end up getting attacked by all these places, and they win that war, and they take that land, OK, that’s a whole other discussion,” he said.

The US State Department did not respond to queries about whether secretary of state Marco Rubio shares Huckabee’s views.

Huckabee, an avowed Christian Zionist and staunch defender of Israel, framed Israel’s right to exist as grounded in international law even as he lashed out at the institutions that interpret it. He criticised the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, accusing them of becoming “rogue organisations” that fail to apply the law equally. He praised efforts by Trump and Rubio to curb their influence.

The debate touches on foundational principles of international law established after World War II, including the prohibition on acquiring territory by force. In 2024, the ICJ ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal and must end immediately. Israel’s own laws do not clearly demarcate its final borders, and it continues to occupy the Golan Heights, annexed from Syria in 1981 — a move recognised only by the United States. Following the 2024 war with Hezbollah, Israel also established military outposts at five points inside Lebanon.

Some Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have spoken of a “Greater Israel” with expanded borders. In 2023, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich sparked international outrage when he appeared before a map depicting Palestinian territories and parts of neighbouring Arab states as belonging to Israel.

Beyond the territorial controversy, Huckabee has faced scrutiny over his conduct as ambassador. Critics have accused him of failing to speak forcefully on behalf of US citizens killed or detained by Israeli forces. Last year, he also drew criticism for meeting with convicted spy Jonathan Pollard, who served 30 years in prison for passing US intelligence secrets to Israel. Pollard later moved to Israel and has remained an unapologetic figure.

Huckabee insisted he does not share Pollard’s views and denied “hosting” him, clarifying that Pollard met him at the US embassy in Jerusalem after securing a pre-approved appointment. “I met with him at his request, and frankly, I don’t regret it,” Huckabee said. “I’ve met with a lot of people and will meet with many more.”

As war, faith and geopolitics continue to intersect in the Middle East, Huckabee’s remarks have added another combustible layer to an already volatile landscape — one where ancient texts and modern borders remain locked in uneasy conversation.