WASHINGTON — Senior officials in President Donald Trump’s administration have contacted several Arab nations in recent days to calm concerns following remarks by U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, suggesting that Israel has the right to control a significant portion of the Middle East, according to Politico.
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The magazine reported that officials—including Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker—clarified to concerned nations that Huckabee’s comments during an interview with Tucker Carlson reflect his personal views and do not represent a shift in administration policy, according to three sources familiar with the communications.
Huckabee’s interview sparked outrage across Arab and Muslim nations, as his statements represent a major departure from the Trump administration's stance on Israeli sovereignty. President Trump had previously promised Arab and Muslim leaders that he would not permit Israel to annex the West Bank.
This controversy comes at a sensitive time, as the Trump administration seeks support from Arab and Islamic nations for its ambitious plans to secure and reconstruct the Gaza Strip.
Last Saturday, more than 10 governments—including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE—issued a joint statement condemning the remarks as "dangerous and inflammatory," noting that they directly contradict Trump’s plans for Gaza.
While the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem claimed that Huckabee’s remarks were "taken out of context," the Ambassador has repeatedly used the X platform to criticize Carlson since the interview’s release. He attacked the media for covering his comments on Israeli control over the Middle East without providing "full context."
Currently, more than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in over 100 settlements built in the occupied West Bank, in addition to over 200,000 settlers in East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in 1967.
The majority of UN member states consider all settlements illegal, while Palestinians seek East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip for their future state.
