US Ambassador to Tel Aviv Mike Huckabee stated that he would have no objection if Israel took control of the entire Middle East. In an interview with commentator Tucker Carlson on Wednesday, Huckabee claimed that the Bible grants Israel the right to occupy lands across the region, including parts of Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.

Huckabee expressed support for the Jewish belief that much of the Middle East constitutes a divinely promised land, saying Israel is a land given by God to His chosen people through Abraham. However, he later clarified that the Israeli government is not currently seeking to expand to those ancient borders. When Carlson asked whether he would approve such expansion, Huckabee replied that Israel does not intend to seize the region.

The US State Department did not respond to Al Jazeera’s inquiry about whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio agrees with Huckabee’s views on Israel’s right to expand its borders.