A coalition of Arab and Muslim-majority nations has issued a joint condemnation of remarks attributed to the United States Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, suggesting it would be acceptable for Israel to exercise control over territories belonging to Arab states, including the occupied West Bank.
In a statement on February 21, 2026, the foreign ministries of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria and the State of Palestine, alongside the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the League of Arab States (LAS), and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), expressed “strong condemnation and profound concern” over the envoy’s comments.
The envoy had stated that it would be acceptable for Israel to exercise control over territories belonging to Arab states, including the occupied West Bank, a position the states described as dangerous and inflammatory.
The ministries affirmed their rejection of such dangerous and inflammatory remarks, stating that they constitute “a flagrant violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations,” and pose “a grave threat to the security and stability of the region.”
According to the statement, the comments directly contradict the vision advanced by U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict.
The plan, the ministries noted, is based on containing escalation and creating a political horizon for a comprehensive settlement that ensures the Palestinian people have their own independent state.
They reiterated that the plan is grounded in promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence, warning that remarks seeking to legitimize control over the lands of others “undermine these objectives, fuel tensions, and constitute incitement rather than advancing peace.”
The coalition reaffirmed that Israel has no sovereignty whatsoever over the Occupied Palestinian Territory or any other occupied Arab lands.
The group reiterated firm rejection of any attempts to annex the West Bank or separate it from the Gaza Strip and voiced strong opposition to the expansion of settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The statement further emphasised the group’s “categorical rejection of any threat to the sovereignty of Arab states.”
Warning of broader regional consequences, the ministries said the continuation of Israel’s expansionist policies and unlawful measures will only inflame violence and conflict in the region and undermine the prospects for peace.
They called for an end to what they described as incendiary statements.
The states reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the lines of June 4, 1967, as well as the end of the occupation of all Arab lands.
