A Major Admission: Israel Wants the Entire Region

WANA (Feb 23) – While unconditional support for Israel has long been a fixed pillar of U.S. foreign policy, signs of a shift are now emerging within the American domestic arena—one arising not from traditional critics of Tel Aviv, but from within the U.S. conservative camp itself.

The recent visit of Tucker Carlson, a prominent media figure aligned with the “MAGA” movement and a former supporter of Donald Trump, to the occupied territories—and his unusually direct conversation with Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Tel Aviv—became a rare stage for sharp questioning of Israel from within conservative ranks.

The significance of the exchange lies precisely in Carlson’s identity: he is not a liberal critic, but a voice from within the Republican current that has historically stood at the forefront of support for Israel.

Identity and Historical Legitimacy Under Scrutiny

In part of the interview, Huckabee offered two distinct definitions of Jewish identity: one based on bloodline and another grounded in faith and religious commitment. Carlson seized on this duality to challenge the identity-based legitimacy of Benjamin Netanyahu.

He pointed to Netanyahu’s family roots in Eastern Europe while also emphasizing his secularism, suggesting that the Israeli prime minister does not fully align with either definition.

The dispute feeds into a broader debate about the relationship between ethnicity, religion, and historical claims to land. In traditional religious understanding, Jewish identity is defined through maternal lineage. Yet Israel’s immigration policies over the decades have expanded the scope of that definition.

In contrast, certain genetic-based academic perspectives argue that today’s Palestinians represent a historical continuity of the land’s ancient inhabitants, who over centuries adopted the language and religion of successive rulers. This narrative challenges the claim that Palestinians are “non-native” to the land.

“The Most Moral Army in the World” Questioned

Defending Israel’s military conduct, Huckabee described it as “the most moral army in the world,” asserting that it has taken measures to protect civilians beyond what even the U.S. military has done. This claim drew a sharp response from Carlson, as such a defense implicitly criticizes the conduct of the United States’ own armed forces.

With published figures from the Gaza war indicating tens of thousands killed in a territory of roughly 2.3 million people, critics argue that such numbers sit uneasily with the image of a “morally exemplary” military.

Gaza’s Children and the Battle Over Narratives

Responding to questions about child casualties, Huckabee claimed that many of the deceased were 14-year-olds carrying weapons. This account conflicts with field reports and widely circulated images of targeted residential areas.

Statistics released by Palestinian sources indicate that thousands of young children, including infants, are among the victims—an issue that has become one of the most sensitive focal points of criticism in Western public opinion.

Gaza Crisis. Social media/ WANA News Agency

Sensitive Files: From Epstein to Pollard

Carlson also raised the case of Tom Artyom Alexandrovich, an Israeli technology official arrested in the United States on charges of attempting to sexually exploit minors but who quickly returned to Israel. He asked Huckabee why Washington had not aggressively pursued extradition.

The ambassador’s response—placing responsibility on the U.S. Department of Justice—did little to dispel lingering doubts.

The issue arises in an American public sphere still shaped by the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, a case that exposed a web of political and security connections and heightened societal sensitivity toward crimes involving children.

In another segment, Huckabee’s meeting with Jonathan Pollard, convicted of transferring classified U.S. documents to Israel, was raised. Carlson framed the case as emblematic of historical mistrust, noting that Pollard had expressed no remorse for his past actions after his release.

“If They Take It All, That’s Not a Problem”

The most controversial moment came when Huckabee, citing the Book of Genesis, spoke of a divine right for Jews to govern vast territories across the Middle East, stating that if Israel “takes it all, that’s not a problem.” Although he acknowledged the existence of other states in the region, the phrasing was widely interpreted as a form of religious legitimation for territorial expansionism.

Recent developments on the ground—from the extensive destruction in Gaza to rising tensions in southern Lebanon and Syria—have made such remarks particularly sensitive in the region. Some Arab governments have reportedly begun reassessing aspects of their defense arrangements in response.

A Fracture Within the Conservative Camp

Ultimately, the conversation illustrates that Israel is no longer merely a consensus issue in American politics. Among segments of the conservative movement—particularly some MAGA supporters—a serious question is emerging: Is unconditional support for Tel Aviv always aligned with U.S. national interests?

What unfolded in this interview was more than a media clash. It signaled a widening fissure within the Republican discourse itself—a tension between traditional loyalty to Israel and a growing impulse to redefine American national priorities in an increasingly tense and multipolar world.