Hot Debate Between U.S. Ambassador and Famous Host: Does the Middle East Belong to Israel?

Mike Huckabee, U.S. ambassador to Israel, in a tense interview with conservative American journalist Tucker Carlson, stated that it would be “no problem” if Israel were to control the land stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates. This statement came while Carlson challenged him on his “biblical justification” for Israel’s territory.

According to Rokna, Huckabee appeared on The Tucker Carlson Show, where Carlson repeatedly questioned him about the biblical borders, which, according to Huckabee, were divinely promised to the Jewish people.

Carlson noted that the territory mentioned in the Book of Genesis is much larger than modern Israel’s borders.

Such a boundary is associated with the expansionist concept of “Greater Israel,” which encompasses parts of several modern countries, including Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and all of Palestine.

During the interview, when Huckabee accused Carlson of diverting the discussion from “Christian Zionism,” Carlson responded: “You have said three times that God gave this land to this people. So it is entirely fair for me to ask exactly which land you are talking about, because I just read Genesis 15 — as I have many times — and it seems to say from the Nile to the Euphrates, which is essentially almost the entire Middle East. So either God gave the land to the Jews, or He didn’t. You say He did. What does that mean? Does Israel have the right to this land? Because you are citing Genesis.”

Carlson then asked: “Do you mean that this is the ultimate deed of ownership?”

Huckabee paused and replied: “If they take all of it, that’s no problem.”

He quickly added, “But I don’t think we are talking about that today.”

Map of Greater Israel

Carlson disagreed, asking, “What do you mean no problem? Well, that is exactly what we are discussing. Do you think it is no problem if the Israeli government takes all of Jordan?”

Huckabee interrupted, “They don’t want it. They are not requesting to take it.”

Carlson pressed further: “But you are saying one of the reasons for Israel’s legitimacy and its inherent right to exist is that God gave it to His people. I am referring to the same Bible you cite, and I see that land is vast. So if God gave them that land, by your definition, they have the right to occupy it now, unless I missed something.”

Huckabee replied: “I think you missed something, because they are not requesting to reclaim and occupy all that land. At the very least, they want to maintain legitimate control over the land where they currently live, which provides them with a safe haven.”

Carlson continued, “Let me ask because you are explaining ‘Christian Zionism’ and your theological beliefs. I think you just said it’s no problem if Israel takes all of Syria and Lebanon.”

Huckabee clarified: “That is not exactly what I meant.”

Carlson insisted: “I am asking if that is what you said. I thought you did.”

Huckabee replied: “That was somewhat of an exaggeration; if that is what you think we are discussing, it is not the case. We are talking about the land Israel currently lives in and wishes to have peace there.”

He added: “They are not trying to take Jordan, Syria, Iraq, or anywhere else, but they want to protect their people.”

Carlson reiterated that Huckabee emphasized, as a “Christian Zionist,” that he shares the view of many communities in Israel who see the country’s legitimacy as divinely justified, pointing out that the agreement involves land far larger than the current country.

Huckabee sarcastically remarked, “Maybe you are even more of a Zionist than the Jews living in Israel.”

Carlson continued: “I am trying to understand the geopolitical implications of your theology, because you are saying that the current Israeli government has a moral right to occupy lands that now belong to other peoples.”

Huckabee replied: “No, I did not say that, Tucker.”

Carlson asked: “Then what do you say?”

Huckabee said: “I am simply saying that the people living in Israel have the right to security and the right to live in the land they have been connected to for 3,800 years.”

Huckabee did not mention that prior to World War I, Palestine was the land of its Muslim, Christian, and Jewish inhabitants. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the British relocated Jews from Europe — and later from other parts of the world — altering the demographics with force, settling Jewish immigrants in homes of the local Palestinian population, and subsequently establishing the state of Israel.

Note:
Christian Zionism is an ideological current among some Christians, particularly evangelical Protestants, which interprets the Bible as promising the return of Jews to the land of Israel and the continuation of the Israeli state as part of God’s plan. Followers believe that political and spiritual support for Israel aligns with their theological beliefs, although the extent and form of this support varies. Its roots date to the 19th century and became more pronounced in the 20th century, especially after Israel’s establishment in 1948. Critics see it as mixing religion and politics, while supporters view it as adherence to biblical interpretation.