US envoy Huckabee tries to deny saying he would support Israel expansionism

"Despite explicitly saying he would be fine if Israel took most of the Middle East in accordance with his interpretation of the Bible, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee has suggested the remark was selectively edited. The comment by the United States envoy, made during an interview with podcaster Tucker Carlson, sparked outrage and condemnation across the Arab world, including from Saudi Arabia."

"Speaking with Carlson on Friday, Huckabee was pressed about the geographical borders of Israel, which he argued are rooted in Old Testament scripture. Huckabee told Carlson that the biblical verse that promised land to the descendants of Abraham refers to an area between the Euphrates River in Iraq and the Nile River in Egypt. Such a stretch of territory would encompass modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and parts of Saudi Arabia."

"On Sunday, the ambassador, an avowed Christian Zionist and staunch defender of Israel, tried to deny making the statement, claiming Carlson, who aired the full interview on his website, had taken his words out of context. He shared a Jewish Insider article with the headline Saudi Arabia leads regional push against Huckabee based on partial remarks. As Paul Harvey would say Now the REST OF THE STORY,' Huckabee wrote, referring to the late American radio broadcaster and his catchphrase."

Mike Huckabee argued that a biblical verse promising land to Abraham's descendants refers to territory between the Euphrates River and the Nile River. He said that such territory would include modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and parts of Saudi Arabia and added that it would be fine if Israel took it. The remark was made during an interview with podcaster Tucker Carlson and provoked outrage and condemnation across the Arab world, including the Arab League and Saudi Arabia. Huckabee later claimed his words were selectively edited, shared related social media posts and cited a Jewish Insider headline denying full context. The US State Department has not publicly addressed the remarks.

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