U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has ignited diplomatic fury across the Middle East following controversial statements made during an appearance on The Tucker Carlson Show. The former Arkansas governor asserted that Israel is engaged in a “seven-front war,” explicitly naming the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Jordan as active combatants alongside Lebanon, Syria, Yemen’s Houthis, Hamas in Gaza, and Iran.
During the interview, Huckabee clarified that Israel’s conflict is not with the governments of Egypt or Jordan but specifically with the Muslim Brotherhood elements within those nations. He notably added an “eighth front” to the conflict: the media.
The ambassador further provoked regional outrage by invoking biblical scripture to justify Israeli territorial expansion. When Carlson referenced Genesis 15’s description of land spanning from the Nile to Euphrates rivers, Huckabee responded that “it would be fine if they took it all”—a statement implying Israeli claims to territories across five sovereign nations beyond occupied Palestine.
These remarks have drawn swift condemnation from multiple governments and international organizations. Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman have issued formal statements of protest, joined by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League. Jordan’s Foreign Ministry characterized Huckabee’s statements as “irresponsible, escalatory and absurd,” while Saudi Arabia denounced them as “reckless” and Kuwait condemned them as “a flagrant violation of international law.”
The controversy emerges against the complex backdrop of the Muslim Brotherhood’s history. Founded in 1928 as an anti-colonial movement, the organization has consistently denied advocating violence while positioning itself as a political and social movement. Despite persecution under secular Arab rulers in the mid-20th century, the Brotherhood gained significant popularity following the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, culminating in Mohamed Morsi’s democratic election in Egypt in 2012—before his ouster by military coup and subsequent death in custody.
The organization remains banned in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and most recently Jordan, where its April prohibition followed alleged pressure from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Israel. Many regional monarchies and autocratic governments view the Brotherhood as an existential threat to their rule.