Germany Pushes Back Against US Ambassador's Biblical Land Claim

(MENAFN) Germany on Monday pushed back against remarks made by Mike Huckabee, the US Ambassador to Israel, who contended that the Jewish state held a biblical right to territory spanning from the Nile to the Euphrates rivers — comments that effectively endorsed Israeli dominion over much of the Middle East, including the occupied West Bank.

Berlin moved swiftly to distance itself from the position, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kathrin Deschauer reaffirming the government's stance during a press briefing in Berlin. "The West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem are the starting point for the future Palestinian state, and that is the basis from which we proceed," Deschauer said, adding that Germany had "taken note of the reactions of numerous states in the region."

The pushback follows a wave of Arab condemnation. Regional governments on Saturday branded Huckabee's comments as "absurd and provocative," declaring them unacceptable and in direct violation of international law.

Deschauer doubled down on Berlin's commitment to a negotiated resolution, stating: "That is our position, and it is also the position that offers the best opportunity for peaceful coexistence with a view to a two-state solution."

Germany also renewed its longstanding objection to Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, arguing that such moves deepen the occupation rather than advance peace. Berlin has consistently maintained that settlement growth undermines the viability of a two-state solution and runs contrary to binding international legal obligations — including rulings handed down by the International Court of Justice.

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