U.S. Ambassador Huckabee Faces Arab Backlash Over 'Fine If Israel Took It All' Comment on Middle East Land
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee told Tucker Carlson he "would be fine" if Israel took lands stretching across the Middle East from Egypt to Iraq, prompting formal condemnation from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League. The embassy said the remarks were taken out of context and Huckabee later clarified he did not mean Israel was seeking "all of that" territory, arguing he believes Israel legitimately owns the land it occupies and wants a safe haven — an episode observers say fits a pattern of Trump‑era envoys provoking diplomatic rows via media appearances.
đź“Ś Key Facts
- MS NOW, citing the New York Times, reports U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee told Tucker Carlson it "would be fine" if Israel took lands stretching across the Middle East from Egypt to Iraq.
- The remark prompted formal criticism from multiple governments and organizations, including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States.
- Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Arab League issued particularly strong condemnatory statements about Huckabee’s comment.
- Huckabee subsequently clarified that Israel is not trying to take "all of that" territory, saying he believes Israel "owns legitimately" the land it currently occupies and wants it as a safe haven.
- MS NOW frames the incident as part of a pattern of Trump‑era ambassadors provoking diplomatic rows via social‑media or media appearances, and says the episode adds to "Trump’s ambassadorial woes."
đź“° Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
February 23, 2026
4:32 PM
Huckabee’s Israel comments spark controversy, adding to Trump’s ambassadorial woes
New information:
- Confirms, via New York Times, that Huckabee told Tucker Carlson it 'would be fine' if Israel took lands stretching across the Middle East from Egypt to Iraq.
- Details the breadth of formal criticism: from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States, including specific condemnatory language from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Arab League.
- Adds Huckabee’s subsequent clarification that Israel is not trying to take 'all of that' territory but that he believes it 'owns legitimately' the land it currently occupies and wants it as a safe haven.
- Frames the incident explicitly as part of a pattern of Trump‑era ambassadors in Europe and Israel provoking diplomatic rows via social‑media or media appearances.
February 22, 2026