The US is engaged in damage control with Arab nations after US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee sparked outrage by saying in a recent interview that “it would be fine” if Israel took over a large swath of the Middle East, Politico reports.
According to report, citing three people involved in the outreach, senior State Department officials have been calling the countries that expressed anger, saying that these are Huckabee’s personal views and do not reflect a shift in US policy.
Huckabee made the comments during his contentious interview with right-wing American commentator Tucker Carlson which aired Friday, after Carlson said that according to the Bible, the descendants of Abraham would receive land that today would include large parts of the Middle East, and asked Huckabee if Israel had a right to that land.
Huckabee responded: “It would be fine if they took it all.” However, he said that Israel was not looking to expand its territory and has a right to security in the land it legitimately holds.
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