The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine strongly and unequivocally condemns the recent statements made by US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, in which he asserted what he described as a “biblical right” for Israel to exercise control over the region “from the Nile to the Euphrates.” Such assertions represent a dangerous misuse of religious interpretation to legitimize colonial and expansionist political agendas.
This rhetoric stands in direct violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. It also fundamentally contradicts the essence of the Christian message and the teachings of the Bible, which cannot be transformed into a political deed of ownership or invoked to sanctify occupation, annexation, or dispossession. Sacred texts must be understood within their historical and theological context and must never be instrumentalized to justify the denial of peoples’ rights or the erasure of their national existence.
The Committee affirms that claims of “biblical right” represent a profound distortion of religion’s spiritual and moral purpose. Such claims reflect the influence of politicized theological currents associated with Christian Zionism, which seek to subordinate faith to political power at the expense of justice, and human rights. The image of God proclaimed by Jesus Christ is one of love, justice, and peace—not of war, domination, and exclusion.
The Committee warns that framing a political conflict in religious and doctrinal terms poses a direct threat to peace and regional and international stability. This discourse risks inflaming religious extremism, and undermining prospects for a just and lasting peace.
Moreover, the instrumentalization of religion to justify territorial control or deny the rights of the Palestinian people directly threatens the historic Palestinian Christian presence and erodes the rich religious and cultural pluralism that has defined the Holy Land for centuries. It provides ideological cover for policies of occupation, annexation, and displacement that affect Muslims and Christians alike.
The future of Palestine must be determined in accordance with international law and binding international resolutions, not through selective and politicized religious interpretations. The international community has consistently affirmed that the annexation of occupied Palestinian territory constitutes a grave breach of international law.
The Committee further emphasizes that invoking religious rhetoric to justify occupation or settlement expansion constitutes a serious moral and theological deviation and stands in direct contradiction to global efforts aimed at achieving a just and comprehensive peace grounded in ending the occupation, freedom, justice, and respect for human dignity.
In this context, the Committee calls upon the US administration to clarify its official position regarding these statements in a manner consistent with international law and the ethical responsibility of political and religious leadership to prevent the exploitation of religion in political conflict.
The Committee also renews its call to churches and Christian communities worldwide to listen attentively to the voice of Palestinian Christians—indigenous to this land and living witnesses to its history and faith—and to reject any theology that seeks to legitimize injustice or entrench the reality of occupation.
Justice cannot be founded upon politicized religious claims, but upon law, rights, and the inherent human dignity. These alone are the foundations capable of securing a genuine, just, and lasting peace in the land of peace.
