‘Violation of international norms’: Biblical map of Israel sparks outrage from Jordan
Post from Israel Arabic account on X showing the borders of ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah denounced by Jordan, UAE for undermining Palestinian right to an independent state

A map of the biblical land of Israel published by the official Israel Arabic account on X earlier this week has drawn condemnation from neighboring Jordan, which accused the Israeli government of encouraging continued “conflict and violence” in the region.
The map, published on Monday by Israel Arabic, highlighted the boundaries of the historic kingdoms of Israel and Judah in 928 BC, which encompassed part of modern-day Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, as well as areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
“Did you know that the Kingdom of Israel existed 3,000 years ago?” read the accompanying text, which offered a summary of the divide between Israel and Judah.
“This division led to political conflicts throughout the history of the people of Israel, and its effects continued for hundreds of years,” Israel Arabic wrote.
“However, the Jewish people in the diaspora continued to look forward to the revival of their powers and capabilities, and the rebuilding of their state, which was declared in the State of Israel in 1948 to become the only democracy in the Middle East.”
While the image did not refer to modern-day Israel or any of its neighbors, and the text only mentioned the modern Jewish state in passing, the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs nevertheless issued a scathing response to the illustration on Tuesday, which it claimed followed the trend of inflammatory comments made by far-right members of the Israeli government.
هل تعلم ان مملكة إسرائيل كانت قائمة منذ 3000 سنة؟
أول ملك حكمها لمدة 40 عاما كان الملك شاؤول (1050–1010) ق. م. ثم تلاه الملك داود الذي حكمها 40 عاما تقريبا (1010-970 ) ق.م. وعقبه الملك سليمان الذي حكم ايضا لمدة 40 عاما في الفترة (970-931) ق.م.
دام حكم الملوك الثلاثة… pic.twitter.com/xK7jjORdOK
— إسرائيل بالعربية (@IsraelArabic) January 6, 2025
The statement, attributed to foreign ministry spokesman Ambassador Dr. Sufyan Qudah, condemned the map “in the strongest terms,” before turning to what it said were “racist statements by the extremist Israeli Finance Minister [Bezalel Smotrich] calling for the annexation of the West Bank and the establishment of settlements in the Gaza Strip.”
Qudah stressed “the Kingdom’s absolute rejection of these policies and provocative statements that aim to deny the Palestinians’ right to establish their independent and sovereign state along the June 4, 1967, lines, with occupied Jerusalem as its capital.”
“These allegations and illusions adopted and promoted by extremists in the Israeli government, which encourage the continuation of cycles of violence and conflict, constitute a blatant violation of international norms and laws,” he added.
Calling for international condemnation, Qudah demanded that the Israeli government “immediately cease these provocative actions and stop the provocative statements made by Israeli officials, which have no place except in the minds of extremists, and which contribute to fueling conflicts and constitute a threat to international peace and security.”
Jordan has often denied or downplayed the Jewish history of the region, and in particular, the Jewish connection to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, managed in part by the Jordanian Waqf.

Under the status-quo arrangement that has been in place for decades, Jews and other non-Muslims are permitted to visit the heavily regulated site — home to the two biblical Jewish temples but now the site of the Muslim Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock shrine — but may not pray there. The issue is a source of contention, and visits by right-wing religious Jews who support changing the status quo are regularly denounced by Amman.
In 2019, the Jordanian government went so far as to suspend the production of a movie that portrayed historical Jewish ties to the city of Petra, with opponents claiming that it could lead to Israeli territorial claims to the Hashemite Kingdom.
Elsewhere in the region, the Israel Arabic account also drew the ire of the United Arab Emirates which on Wednesday said that it considered the map to be “a deliberate effort to expand the occupation and a blatant violation and contravention of international law.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed the UAE’s “categorical rejection of all provocative practices aimed at altering the legal status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” and of any actions that “threaten further escalation and tensions, and impede endeavors to achieve peace and stability in the region.”
It ended with a call for regional and international actors to “advance the peace process in the Middle East, as well as end illegal practices that undermine the two-state solution, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.”
“Regional peace is essential to reinforcing pillars of sustainable stability and security, and fulfilling the aspirations of its people for comprehensive development and dignity,” the UAE added.