Israel has a Torah right to occupy the entire Middle East. (American Ambassador Mike Huckabee)
Zia Chitrali
According to the British newspaper The Guardian, the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said in an interview that if Israel occupies the entire Middle East, it would be its "Torah right," which is acceptable. He said that the basis of his position is the interpretations of the Bible found in Christian nationalist circles in America. Huckabee made this statement in an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson. During the conversation, Carlson explained that according to a text in the Old Testament, حضرت ابراہیمؑ was promised an area that stretched from the "Valley of Egypt to the Euphrates River." According to him, this may include parts of several existing countries in the Middle East, including Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, as well as some areas of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
According to The Guardian's report, Huckabee did not fully confirm this geographical demarcation, but he said that it was about a "very large area." He further said that Israel is the land "that God gave to his chosen people." This statement is being described as a religiously based position. When Carlson directly asked him if Israel has the right to occupy all these areas, Huckabee replied: "If they take it all, it will be acceptable." According to observers, this statement goes beyond the traditional political position and reflects a clear ideological and religious thinking, the dire consequences and implications of which are not difficult to assess.
According to the report, the interview was recorded during Carlson's visit to Israel. During this visit, Carlson claimed that he was treated "unusually" at Ben Gurion Airport. However, Israeli and American officials denied this claim and said that he went through normal security procedures. The Israeli Airports Authority also issued a statement saying that Carlson was not detained, nor was he stopped, nor was he subjected to unusual questioning. We have written in detail on these pages about Carson's anti-Israel stance.
These statements have also come at a time when a significant change is being seen in Carlson's political position. According to observers, he is now questioning the level of American support for Israel, due to which he has become somewhat distant from the central circle of the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement.
On the other hand, Mike Huckabee is considered a strong representative of the conservative and especially right-wing evangelical Christian circles in America, who strongly support Israel. In this controversy, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also reacted. He called Carlson a "hypocrite" on the social media platform "X," saying that he should not be considered an expert on Israeli affairs.
Huckabee defended Israel's security measures, saying that like every country, passengers' passports are checked and security questions are asked in Israel.
According to Al Jazeera, this incident reflects the growing relationship between US foreign policy and religious narrative, especially in the case of Israel. At the same time, it also highlights the differences within the American right wing regarding support for Israel.
This whole situation has come at a time when Israel is accelerating the process of settlement in the West Bank. The Israeli cabinet has approved, as an initial approval, decisions aimed at making major changes in the legal and civil structure of the West Bank. These measures include the abolition of the Jordanian law that prohibits the sale of Palestinian land to Jews. In addition, making land records public and transferring planning and construction powers in sensitive areas, especially Al-Khalil, to the Israeli Civil Administration are also included.
Similarly, monitoring and demolition powers have been extended to "A" and "B" zones. Demolition and land confiscation operations can also be carried out in such areas on the basis of construction violations or matters related to water and antiquities, which are considered to be under the administrative and security control of the Palestinian Authority. According to observers, this is a major legal change that may be difficult to reverse in the future.
It should be noted that the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, actually has a conservative Christian religious background. He is basically an Evangelical Christian and in the past he has been a regular Southern Baptist pastor. This is the largest Protestant Christian organization in America. He served as a religious preacher in America for many years, after which he entered politics. These people are considered to believe in Biblical literalism. Their position on Israel is strongly based on religious grounds, especially under the belief that this land was given to the Jewish nation by God. Huckabee is among those American Evangelical leaders who consider unconditional support for Israel a religious duty. Politically, he is also affiliated with the Republican Party and has previously served as the Governor of the State of Arkansas. Although he is not Jewish, he is a staunch Evangelical Protestant Christian, whose position on Israel is deeply related to religious belief.
In America, Evangelical Protestant Christians strongly support Israel. This trend is generally called "Christian Zionism." It is not a completely uniform or mandatory belief, but a large section of American Evangelical circles holds the view that the promises made to the Children of Israel in the Bible are still politically valid today. The establishment of the State of Israel is part of God's plan. Supporting it is a religious responsibility. However, it is also important to note that not all Evangelical Christians are supporters of Zionist ideologies. The attitude of the Evangelical movement in Europe and Latin America may be different.
Mike Huckabee has long been considered a staunch supporter of Israel and his position has been not only diplomatic but also religious and ideological. He had said in the past that "Palestinians" are not actually a separate nation but a "political term." This statement was heavily criticized because it was considered a negation of Palestinian national identity. He has opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state on several occasions and has declared the two-state solution ineffective. He has been using the biblical terms "Yehudiya and Samaria" instead of "West Bank," which is in line with the religious narrative of the Israeli right wing. He has openly supported Israeli settlements and has also visited settlements in the West Bank on some occasions. He has repeatedly said that the land of Israel is given by God, the same narrative has come out in the recent interview as well.