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Tucker Carlson and Ambassador Huckabee: "From the Nile to the Euphrates" (February 2026)
Tucker Carlson interviewing Ambassador Mike Huckabee about Israel, Iran and American troops.
Tucker Just Ruined Mike Huckabee’s Career With This One Question · Tucker Carlson Network · uploaded 2026-02-22 · 9:11
Original: youtube.com/watch?v=BA_UXHR8cms · IPFS QmXXe3uTxqVQuqJp9WDKZ1VDVSSWmQ7m5j7KZ8kW4jAYUv
What this video is evidence for
Mike Huckabee is the United States Ambassador to Israel, America's official representative there. In February 2026, days before the US–Israeli war on Iran began, Tucker Carlson interviewed him for nearly three hours (full interview). This official 9-minute clip is the exchange that made headlines around the world.
Huckabee grounds Israel's claim to the land in the Bible, citing Genesis, and his "Christian Zionism": "There are 80 million evangelical Christians in the United States... I do believe there is a very specific call to the Jewish people." Carlson reads the promise back to him. Genesis 15 gives Abram's descendants the land "from the Nile to the Euphrates," which Carlson notes "would include, like, basically the entire Middle East... Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon... big parts of Saudi Arabia, and Iraq." Then he asks:
"Does Israel have the right to that land? Because you're appealing to Genesis. You're saying that's the original deed. It would be fine if they took it all?"
Huckabee's reply falls just past where this clip cuts to an ad; watch the full interview for it. According to NBC News, India Today and others, his answer, that it "would be fine," drew swift condemnation from Arab governments. That is the sitting American ambassador endorsing, on biblical grounds, an Israel stretching to the Euphrates, the river that runs through Iraq on the road to Iran.
Where this fits: see American Soldiers Iran Videos for the full explanation and sources.
Transcript
Machine transcription (apple-speechanalyzer) of the full 00:09:11. It can mishear names and words, so check exact wording against the video before quoting it.
Does every nation have the same right, to its own homeland, to its own physical land, that you say Israel does? I think like we're in a rabbit hole here. No, I think it's a very straightforward question. No, but does that right extend to other countries? But the most important thing that is going on in our culture right now is whether or not the people that are yelling in the streets from the river to the sea, whether that that's a legitimate point of view to say that there should not be a Jewish homeland.
There should not be a Jewish state. You never hear me say, period. I just want to know you haven't said it, but that's the argument. one of the arguments going on globally. And the United States, excuse me, has a pretty narrow view.
I would say, in our media culture, what's happening around the world. There are plenty of countries having this debate. Stonehenge is a lot older than the first temple in Israel, and it was built by the same people who live there now. It's the same people, and they are being pushed off their island and outnumbered by people from other places. And so, in Great Britain.
In Ireland, which is also a country with a nation of people, a race, if you will, that is being displaced, replaced by, immigrants, from other places. I just wanted to clarify, because I was one of the, well, just as a demographic matter, it's just like you can look at the numbers, it's not controversial. Just look at the numbers. There'll be a minority in their country. And their people have been there longer than Jews have been in Israel, and so they're having this debate, too.
That's all I'm saying. And lots of places are having this debate. So does that principle apply to everyone, or is it specific just to Israel? I think it applies specifically, to Israel, it applies to anyone who can prove that they have some connection to the land in connection to the history and connection to international law. But Israel, I think, does have a international law.
So if, again, but let me finish this. Yes, sir, because here's the, here's the point. We're talking about Christian Zionism. The idea that as a Christian, I believe in both the old and the New Testament. Why wouldn't I?
I'm a person of the book. There are 80 million evangelical Christians in the United States. What makes us who we are, is our adherence to the scripture. Our belief that the Bible, all of it, not part of it, but all of it is the word of the living God. Yeah.
So if I believe in the old and the New Testament, I do believe. There is a very specific call to the Jewish people that started with Abraham, and he called him out of what is now modern day Iraq, said, come where I send you. He came, this is the land, Genesis 123. He says, I will bless those who bless you, curse those who curse you. In Genesis 17.
He looks out of world. He says, look, and this is where I'm giving you the land. I think since that time, there have been people living in this land connected to that moment of history. So there is a historical connection that is broken. You've said that, and I want to ask you what that means, a little more specifically, if that's okay, but first, let me just say that you could say the same thing of Britain's who've been there in their land longer.
Is anybody trying to tell the Britons, the Brits, they can't live there anymore? No, what's happening... But they are saying that to the Jews. Oh, okay, okay. But I'm just wondering if you would extend the same sympathy or the same principle.
You seem like this is... You think I'm trying to trap you? I'm not. at all, trying to trap you. It'd be as simple as saying, Native Britons have the same...
I got the problem with the native Brits having their land. Having the right point there's on hand. I don't know that there is a biblical connection for the Brits. But I would so that's what I take that off the table. And I think there's still a basis for the Jews having this little bitty strip of real estate.
I'm not even arguing with you. I'm just trying to at all. I'm just trying to understand what it is that you're saying, because it's not obvious to me, and maybe it's an IQ problem, but I'm having trouble understanding this. But let me just go back to just clarify one thing. You've brought up international at least twice, maybe 3 times as a basis for Israel's legitimacy.
If Israel was out of compliance with international law, whatever that is, would it be less legitimate? Depends on if the law and the way it's applied is legitimate. There are some applications of so called international law that are not legitimate. I agree. Look at the ICC or the ICC.
I agree. Utterly ridiculous. One of the reasons I'm so grateful President Trump and Secretary Rubio are pushing hard, trying to get rid of the ICC in the ICJ is because they have become rogue organizations that are no longer really about an equal application of law and justice. I don't know enough about it to say if that's true or not. But I just, I'm interested that you yourself appealed to international law as a basis of his Israel's...
What I'm looking at is the whole of the last 100 years. The Balfour Declaration is not exactly international law, by the way. was a latter, I think. It was maybe maybe not law, but it was a declaration. It was a an assumption and a declaration that was done by Lord Balfour in Great Britain.
At that time, this land was under the British mandate. And he said the Jews should have The land that was theirs from 3800 years ago. It was simple as that. Right. I'm not debating that.
Yeah. It was not international law. It was a colonial power saying, okay. But then later, it was under the world, under the League of Nations. And then, because of the victories that Israel had against those who tried to annihilate them, And it wasn't just that they were trying to take a little piece of their land, they tried to annihilate them.
And there is still to this day. The shouts of from the river to the sea. And Tucker, that means only one thing, not the shrinking of Israel, but the annihilation of Israel. I don't think you can say that you know what it means, actually, because you don't know what's in people's hearts. So why don't we just deal with the facts?
Maybe some people mean it. No it's in their mouths. I know it's in their minds, but I'm not, look, you'll never hear me say that. What you will hear me say is, I'm confused by what the definitions are. So let's go through this.
You've appealed to Genesis. Genesis 15 says it's Abram, it's pre Abraham, it's Abram, receives from God the news that his descendants will inherit the land, and you tell me as the theologian, if I'm getting this wrong, but from the Euphrates to the Nile. I think that's right. And that would include, like, basically the entire Middle East. That would be the Levant, so that would be Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon.
It would also be big parts of Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. I mean, I'm not sure it would go that far. I mean, it would be a big pizza lamb, but here's the point. There would be a lot of places that are now countries, but this particular area that we're talking about now. Israel, is a land that God gave through Abraham to a people that he chose.
It was a people, a place, and a purpose. We can look at it that way. Christian Zionism. I want to go back because that's where we started on it. I'm not going to let you off on this because you have gone in it 3 times.
that God gave this land to this people. And so it is entirely fair for me with respect to ask, what land are you talking about? Because I just read Genesis 15, as I have many times. And that land, I think it says, from the Nile to the Euphrates, which is, once again, basically the entire Middle East. So God gave that land to his people, the Jews, or he didn't.
You're saying he did? What does that mean? Does Israel have the right to that land? Because you're appealing to Genesis. You're saying that's the original deed.
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Last Updated: 2026-09-27