US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has controversially proposed that Muslim nations donate land for the creation of a Palestinian state, rather than it being established in territories occupied by Israel. In an interview with BBC, Huckabee asserted that Muslim countries possess “644 times more land than Israel” and suggested that “perhaps someone would want to host a Palestinian state.”
Huckabee sharply criticized US allied nations, including Britain and Australia, for sanctioning two far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, for inciting violence against Palestinians. He labeled this decision “shocking” and stated he had heard no valid reason for such a measure.
The ambassador dismissed the two-state solution as an “aspirational goal,” casting doubt on the feasibility of establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. He contended that a “cultural change” would be necessary before any Palestinian state could be formed, accusing the current culture of inciting violence against Jews.
His statements have provoked strong reactions, particularly concerning the idea of a Palestinian state not being located on historical Palestinian territory but on land from other Muslim countries. Critics argue that this idea aligns with the positions of ultranationalist Israeli groups and constitutes a clear violation of international law.
Meanwhile, France and Saudi Arabia are set to organize a conference at the UN this month to discuss a path towards a Palestinian state. Huckabee deemed this initiative “inappropriate and wrong,” emphasizing that peace should emerge from negotiations, not international impositions.
