Islamabad, February 22, 2026 — Pakistan, joined by 13 other nations and several regional organizations, issued a strong condemnation on Sunday of remarks by the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, in which he suggested that Israel could expand its territory across large swaths of the Middle East.
The ambassador made the comments during an interview on Friday with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, asserting that Israel’s borders were based on biblical texts. When Carlson noted that the relevant passage referenced land stretching from the Euphrates River in Iraq to the Nile in Egypt, Mr. Huckabee responded, “It would be fine if they [Israel] took it all.”
The statement, issued jointly by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Kuwait, Oman, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine, along with representatives of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the League of Arab States, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, described the ambassador’s remarks as “dangerous and inflammatory.” It warned that such statements violated principles of international law, undermined regional stability, and threatened the security of millions of people.
“They affirm their countries’ categorical rejection of such dangerous and inflammatory remarks, which constitute a flagrant violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and pose a grave threat to the security and stability of the region,” the statement read.
The ministers said that Mr. Huckabee’s comments were inconsistent with the policies of the United States under former President Donald Trump and the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, which aimed to curb escalation and create a framework for a negotiated two-state solution. The statement described his remarks as an attempt to legitimize control over territories claimed by the Palestinian people, calling it “incitement rather than advancement of peace.”
The ministers reiterated that Israel had no sovereignty over Palestinian territories or any other occupied Arab lands and condemned ongoing settlement expansions. They also warned that attempts to annex the West Bank or separate Gaza from the West Bank “will only inflame violence and conflict in the region and undermine prospects for peace.”
The joint declaration emphasized the international community’s responsibility to uphold the Palestinians’ right to self-determination and to support the establishment of a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, in line with longstanding United Nations resolutions.
Analysts say the collective response underscores rising unease among Muslim-majority countries regarding statements by Western officials that appear to endorse Israel’s territorial ambitions. Regional observers noted that the timing of Mr. Huckabee’s remarks, amid renewed tensions in Gaza and ongoing disputes over settlements, risked further inflaming an already volatile situation.
“This is a reaffirmation of the long-standing position of these countries that any unilateral attempts to alter borders are unacceptable,” said a senior diplomat in Islamabad, speaking on condition of anonymity. “It is also a message to the U.S. administration that statements by its representatives carry consequences in the region.”
The incident highlights the fragility of Middle East diplomacy and the continuing challenge of securing a durable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has been at the center of regional tensions for decades.
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