Deputy Chairman of House of Representatives Commission I Sukamta has\nscrutinised remarks by the United States Ambassador to Israel, Mike\nHuckabee, who claimed Israel holds rights over a vast area of the Middle\nEast based on historical and theological narratives.<\/p>\n
Sukamta argued that Huckabee\u2019s statement effectively wraps\nexpansionist rhetoric in the guise of historical or religious\nlegitimacy. In such a sensitive geopolitical climate, he warned, such\nremarks could trigger global tensions.<\/p>\n
\u201cStatements of this nature have the potential to create a dangerous\nnormative precedent,\u201d Sukamta said in a written statement on Tuesday, 24\nFebruary 2026.<\/p>\n
He added that Huckabee\u2019s remarks also carry a significant risk of\nweakening diplomacy and regional normalisation processes, emboldening\nextremist groups, and eroding the credibility of the international legal\nsystem.<\/p>\n
Sukamta reminded that the modern world order is built upon the\nprinciples of sovereignty, territorial integrity, equality among\nnations, and the prohibition of territorial acquisition through force,\nas frequently affirmed by the United Nations.<\/p>\n
For this reason, he said, it is important for Indonesia, as part of\nthe Board of Peace, to maintain consistency with these principles \u2014 not\nonly in the context of Middle Eastern conflicts but for the future of an\nequitable, rules-based global order.<\/p>\n
As a nation that adheres to a free and active foreign policy, he\nstated that Indonesia must commit to and consistently resolve conflicts\nthrough the foundations of international law and respect for\ninternational integrity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe world must not return to patterns of unilateral claims that\ncould potentially drag other regions into instability,\u201d said the PKS\nfaction politician.<\/p>\n
In an episode of a podcast released last Friday, American journalist\nand Israel critic Tucker Carlson pressed Huckabee on the meaning of a\nBiblical verse. Huckabee implied that Israel holds Biblical rights over\nmuch of the Middle East.<\/p>\n
The territory referred to by the former Baptist pastor and Israel\nsupporter spans the land between the River Nile in Egypt and the\nEuphrates River in Syria and Iraq.<\/p>\n
Indonesia\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently issued a strong\ncondemnation of Huckabee\u2019s remarks. The Ministry\u2019s statement was\ndelivered jointly with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)\nsecretariat, the League of Arab States (LAS), and the Gulf Cooperation\nCouncil (GCC) on Sunday, 22 February 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201c[We] convey strong condemnation and deep concern over the statement\nby the United States Ambassador to Israel, which indicated that Israel\u2019s\nactions to seize territories belonging to Arab nations, including the\noccupied West Bank, could be deemed acceptable,\u201d the joint statement\nread.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sukamta-responds-to-huckabees-claim-that-israel-has-rights-over-the-middle-east-1771928968", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }