U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee Says Israel Is Entitled to Entire Middle East: 'It Would Be Fine If They Took It All'

[womanofthehills]

43. Enjoy watching Republicans argue

I’m not religious so I find it all weird to say God said it’s our land.

Interesting Ai take:

Tucker Carlson's comments on DNA during his interview with Mike Huckabee served as a pointed counterargument to Huckabee's emphasis on biblical and historical claims to the land in Israel. Carlson used the idea of genetic testing sarcastically to challenge the notion that modern Jewish Israelis—particularly those with European ancestry—have an inherent, divine right to the territory over others who may have deeper local roots. He framed it as a logical extension of Huckabee's theology: If God promised the land to Abraham's descendants (as per Genesis 15:18), then why not use science to identify who those descendants truly are today?

In the exchange, Huckabee argued that the Jewish people's connection to the land dates back 3,800 years through an "unbroken line" of language, culture, faith, and history, regardless of individual religious observance or recent geographic origins. Carlson pushed back by questioning how to verify such descent, especially for figures like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose family has known Eastern European roots and no proven ancient ties to the region. Carlson suggested mandatory DNA testing for everyone in the area to determine genetic continuity with ancient inhabitants, implying it could reveal that many Palestinians (including Christians or those with pre-Islamic roots) have stronger ancestral claims based on thousands of years of provable residency.

For example, Carlson stated: "Why don't we do genetic testing on everybody in the land and find out who Abram's descendants are? ... We can do that. Why don't we do that? ... It would prove who Abram's descendants are and who has a right to live here... If you believe the theology that you've just explained to me, wouldn't you want to know with a burning passion who those people are? ... We can now know who those people are. So why aren't we finding out? ... I guess you could propose a DNA test for everybody who comes here, everybody who lives here."
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Huckabee dismissed the idea, saying he had "no idea what that would prove" and expressing discomfort with basing rights on "blood" (i.e., genetics), preferring a secular state model focused on cultural and religious identity. He noted that Jewish identity can be ethnic or faith-based, allowing for the "right of return" even for secular Jews, but avoided engaging deeply with genetic evidence.

Carlson extended the logic to other groups, asking if Europeans like the British or Irish—whose ancient ties are "provable through genetic testing"—have exclusive rights to their lands, highlighting what he saw as hypocrisy in applying biblical claims selectively. This part of the discussion underscored broader tensions in the interview: Huckabee's defense of Israel's existence as a divine covenant versus Carlson's skepticism toward using ancient texts to justify modern territorial control, especially when genetics might complicate the narrative.

The exchange has sparked online debate, with critics accusing Carlson of oversimplifying genetics (e.g., modern DNA studies show mixed ancestries for both Jews and Palestinians, often linking them to ancient Canaanites), while supporters see it as exposing flaws in faith-based land claims.
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Overall, Carlson's DNA reference was less about endorsing genetic determinism and more about probing the consistency of Huckabee's arguments in a contemporary, evidence-based context.