US Ambassador suggests Muslim nations host Palestinian state, draws backlash over sanctions remarks

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has proposed that Muslim-majority countries could host a future Palestinian state, suggesting they have far more land than Israel.

In an interview with the BBC, Huckabee remarked, “Muslim countries have 644 times the land that Israel controls,” and added, “So maybe, if there is such a desire for a Palestinian state, there would be someone who would say, we’d like to host it.”

He described the two-state solution as “an aspirational goal” and questioned whether a Palestinian state must necessarily be established within the territory currently controlled by Israel. In a separate interview with Bloomberg, Huckabee confirmed that the US is no longer actively pursuing the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

However, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce clarified that Huckabee was expressing personal views. She emphasized that the president alone determines US policy in the Middle East.

Condemns Sanctions on Israeli Ministers

Huckabee also sharply criticised recent sanctions imposed by several US allies, including the UK and Australia, against two far-right Israeli ministers—Itamar Ben-Gvir (National Security Minister) and Bezalel Smotrich (Finance Minister). These ministers were sanctioned over repeated inflammatory statements that have allegedly incited violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Calling the sanctions a “shocking decision,” Huckabee said, “I have not yet heard a good reason why these two elected ministers have been sanctioned by countries that ought to respect Israel’s sovereignty and recognise that they have not conducted any criminal activity.”

The UK, along with Norway, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, enacted the sanctions, which include asset freezes and travel bans. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated the ministers had “incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights.”

Opposes UN Conference on Palestinian Statehood

Huckabee also criticised a forthcoming UN-hosted conference in New York, led by French and Saudi diplomats, which aims to chart a path toward Palestinian statehood. He called the event “ill-timed and inappropriate.”

He argued that Palestinian society must undergo cultural reform before any discussions of statehood, saying, “Right now, the culture is that it’s OK to target Jews and kill them, and you’re rewarded for it. That has to change.”

Background and Controversial Views

The two-state solution, backed by much of the international community, envisions an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza—with East Jerusalem as its capital—existing alongside Israel. Israel opposes this framework, maintaining that any resolution must emerge through direct negotiations, with no preconditions such as guaranteed statehood.

Huckabee has previously supported the idea of a “Greater Israel,” which includes permanent Israeli control over the occupied Palestinian territories. He frequently uses biblical terms like “Judea and Samaria” to describe the West Bank, aligning with ultranationalist elements of Israel’s current ruling coalition. Some members of that coalition have advocated for the expulsion of Palestinians—an approach condemned by human rights organisations and European governments as violations of international law.

Ongoing Conflict in Gaza

The latest Gaza war erupted in October 2023 after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking roughly 251 hostages. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, at least 54,927 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, with the UN estimating that over a quarter of the dead are children.

Currently, 56 hostages are believed to remain in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are thought to be alive.

Numerous international human rights groups, UN agencies, and some governments have accused Israel of committing acts of genocide against the Palestinian people.