The US ambassador to the Israeli occupation entity, Mike Huckabee, sparked a wide controversy in Arab and international circles after statements he made during a television interview, in which he expressed his acceptance of the idea of the occupation entity controlling lands extending from the Nile to the Euphrates.
Huckabee's remarks came during a media interview, responding to a religious-themed text that "the Land of Israel extends from the Valley of Egypt to the Euphrates River," and the U.S. ambassador responded by saying he "sees no objection" to Israel taking control of those areas, adding that "that could be a good thing."
The areas referred to in this vision include parts of Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, as well as areas of Egypt, which intersects with what is politically known as "Greater Israel."
Widespread Arab condemnation
The statements sparked a wave of Arab rejection, as governments and regional organizations considered them a "serious provocation", a flagrant violation of international law and an infringement on the sovereignty of independent states.
Several Arab countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Lebanon and Syria, have issued official positions reaffirming their rejection of any rhetoric that legitimizes expansion at the expense of the territories of the countries of the region, warning that such statements fuel tension and increase the fragility of regional security.
The Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) also condemned the statements, saying they contradict the principles of the United Nations and constitute support for an expansionist rhetoric that threatens the stability of the Middle East.
The rejection spread to the Arab street and social media platforms, where media professionals and writers expressed their anger at what they described as a neo-colonial discourse that reproduces the idea of a "Greater Israel" and justifies the annexation of Arab lands under a religious cover.
Absence of official U.S. position
So far, the US State Department has not issued any official statement confirming the ambassador's statement, and analysts believe that Huckabee's statement reflects an ideological orientation among some political currents in the United States, especially those based on religious interpretations in their approach to the conflict in the Middle East.
The remarks come at a time of heightened tension in the region, prompting observers to warn that such positions could further complicate the political landscape and fuel extremist rhetoric in the region.