UPDATE - OIC, Arab League slams US ambassador's remarks on Israeli Mideast expansion as contradictory, threat to regional stability

By Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League on Saturday condemned remarks by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, warning that his comments about Israeli expansion in the Middle East threaten regional security and stability as well as inflame religious and national sentiments.

Huckabee 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.

After Huckabee claimed Israel had a divine right to vast portions of the Middle East, Carlson asked him: “What land are you talking about?” Interpretations of the biblical phrase “river of Egypt” vary, with some scholars identifying it as a riverbed in the Sinai Peninsula and others as the Nile.

“It would be fine if they took it all,” Huckabee replied, referring to Israel’s biblical right to the territory stretching from the Nile River to the Euphrates.

The OIC described Huckabee’s remarks in a statement as “dangerous and irresponsible,” calling them an unacceptable call for the expansion of Israel, the occupying power, and the seizure of additional Palestinian and Arab lands.

The comments were based on “a false and rejected historical and ideological narrative and claims" that violate state sovereignty, diplomatic norms, principles of international law, UN resolutions, and the UN Charter, the group added.

The organization warned that such extremist rhetoric would fuel further extremism and embolden Israeli policies centered on displacement, settlement expansion, and attempts to impose annexation on occupied Palestinian territory.

It said these measures "threaten security and stability in the entire region.”

The bloc reaffirmed its unwavering support for what it described as the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent, sovereign state on the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Separately, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the Arab League, condemned Huckabee’s claims, calling them contrary to the most basic principles and norms of diplomacy.

In a statement on US social media company X, Aboul Gheit said the remarks contradict official US policies and positions and appear aimed at appealing to right-wing audiences in Israel.

He warned that such extremist statements, which lack any legal or political basis, “inflame religious and national sentiments” at a time when countries are convening under a Board of Peace framework to explore ways to implement a Gaza peace agreement and seize the opportunity to launch a serious political process.

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.

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.