RIYADH — Fourteen countries and three regional organizations on Sunday condemned U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee’s comments that “it is acceptable for Israel to control territory belonging to Arab countries, including the occupied West Bank.”
In a joint statement, the foreign ministries of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Indonesia, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar, Oman, Pakistan, Bahrain, Syria and the United Arab Emirates expressed “strong condemnation and deep concern” over the comments.
The statement was issued with the participation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the League of Arab States, and the Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The ministry called the remarks “dangerous and inflammatory” and a “grave violation of the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter” and posed a threat to regional security and stability.
They said the comments contradict the vision and comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza laid out by US President Donald Trump, which they said is based on curbing escalation and creating a political horizon for a comprehensive solution that guarantees the Palestinian people their own independent state.
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The signatories said that “attempts to legitimize control over other people’s lands undermine these objectives and inflame tensions” and amount to incitement rather than advancing peace.
The two leaders reaffirmed that Israel has no sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territories or other occupied Arab territories, rejected any attempt to annex the West Bank or separate it from the Gaza Strip, and reiterated their opposition to settlement expansion in the occupied territories.
The statement warned that continuing expansionist policies and illegal measures will incite violence and undermine prospects for peace.
It called for an end to “inflammatory statements” and reaffirmed support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state along the lines of June 4, 1967.
Huckabee, who was appointed U.S. ambassador to Israel in April 2025, made the remarks in an interview with journalist Tucker Carlson, in which he defended Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip, saying, “I don’t care if they (Israel) take everything.”
