‘Absurd and provocative’: Huckabee faces firestorm for Israel border stance

In February 2026, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee sparked controversy after suggesting in an interview that Israel has a right to expand its territory to encompass land between the Euphrates and Nile rivers. These remarks, made during an interview with Tucker Carlson, implied Israeli claim to modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and parts of Saudi Arabia. Huckabee later walked back the statement, calling it hyperbolic. However, his initial comments drew immediate condemnation from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the League of Arab States. These entities criticized Huckabee's statements as extremist, provocative, and inconsistent with official US policy, with Saudi Arabia requesting clarification from the US Department of State.