Pakistan and thirteen other countries have strongly condemned remarks made by Mike Huckabee, the United States Ambassador to Israel, regarding potential Israeli territorial expansion. The Foreign Office confirmed that the countries issued a joint statement expressing deep concern over his comments. The ministers warned that such statements could inflame tensions across the Middle East and undermine fragile diplomatic efforts. They stressed that irresponsible rhetoric at sensitive times can damage regional stability and weaken prospects for lasting peace.
The controversy began when Huckabee spoke during an interview with Tucker Carlson, where he suggested he would not object if Israel expanded control across a vast area of the region. When asked about Israel’s borders and references to biblical territory stretching from the Euphrates River to the Nile, he responded that taking all of it “would be fine.” His remarks quickly triggered criticism from several governments concerned about their implications.
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In response, foreign ministers from Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Kuwait, Oman, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine issued a unified condemnation. The statement was also supported by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the League of Arab States, and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Together, they described the comments as dangerous, inflammatory, and inconsistent with international law and the United Nations Charter.
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Furthermore, the joint declaration emphasized that such rhetoric contradicts the broader diplomatic vision presented by Donald Trump and ongoing proposals aimed at containing the Gaza conflict. The ministers said attempts to justify territorial control over occupied lands undermine global peace initiatives and encourage further escalation. They reiterated that Israel holds no sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory or other occupied Arab lands.
Additionally, the participating nations rejected any plans to annex the West Bank or separate it from the Gaza Strip, while firmly opposing settlement expansion. They warned that expansionist policies would intensify violence, destabilize neighboring states, and erode hopes for a political solution. Finally, they reaffirmed support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and called for an independent state based on the June 4, 1967 borders, urging an immediate end to occupation and inflammatory statements.