The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has expressed openness to the idea of Tel Aviv expanding its territory across significant parts of the Middle East, as reported by Al-Jazeera. Huckabee, known for his strong support for Israel, particularly due to his evangelical Christian beliefs, made these remarks during an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
During the interview, Huckabee emphasized that he believes Israel’s borders should align with biblical descriptions, citing the area between the Euphrates River in Iraq and the Nile in Egypt. He even went as far as saying, “It would be fine if they took it all,” in reference to Israel potentially claiming a larger geographical area.
Carlson appeared taken aback by Huckabee’s statement and questioned whether the ambassador genuinely endorsed such extensive expansion for Israel. Huckabee clarified that Israel is not actively seeking to take over more territory and described his initial comment as “somewhat of a hyperbolic statement.” However, he did not dismiss the possibility of Israel gaining more land in the context of defending itself against attacks and emerging victorious in a potential conflict.
Huckabee’s controversial remarks are not new. In June 2025, he expressed his personal opinion that an independent Palestinian state no longer aligns with US foreign policy goals, leading to a clarification from the State Department that his views were individual and did not represent official policy.
When asked if Huckabee’s comments signaled a shift in US policy, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce chose not to provide a direct response, emphasizing that policy decisions were within the purview of President Trump and the White House.
Huckabee also proposed an alternative approach to addressing territorial disputes, suggesting the possibility of carving out land from a Muslim-majority country instead of expecting Israel to make concessions. He questioned whether such land allocation had to occur specifically in Judea and Samaria, the biblical term often used for the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
In a separate development, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 2024 that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories was unlawful and should cease immediately. These ongoing geopolitical issues continue to generate debate and scrutiny on an international scale.