The Arab League on Saturday condemned statements made by US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, in which he spoke of a biblical right for Israel extending from the Nile River to the Euphrates River.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit warned that these claims encourage extremist rhetoric which violates the rules of international law and the principles of diplomatic practice.
Using religious justifications to legitimize policies of hegemony or control contradicts the foundations of the modern international order, he stressed, which are based on respect for the sovereignty of states and prohibiting the forceful acquiring of territory.
The US Ambassador to Israel stated during an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson that based upon Biblical verses, it would be acceptable if Israel took control over the land ‘promised’ to it.
When Carlson asked him whether this interpretation gave Israel a right to lands that included most of the Middle East, including Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and parts of Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Huckabee replied: “I’m not sure we would go that far… It would be a large area of land, and it would be fine if they took it.”
Dangerous statements
Professor of regional and international conflict resolution and expert on Israeli affairs, Ali Al-Awar warned of the danger of these statements.
They carry and religious and ideological baggage that would shift the the Palestinian-Israeli war into an open religious conflict in the region.
Al-Awar warned that resorting to force contradicts the principles of international law and legitimacy, and threatens to plunge the region into a widespread wave of violence.
These developments come amidst escalating regional tensions and the ongoing conflict in Gaza, reinforcing fears about the impact of extremist religious rhetoric on de-escalation efforts and international attempts to contain the fighting.
