As the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the Holy Land, I urge the U.S. Ambassador to read the Bible carefully: The land was promised to all of the descendants of Abraham. And rather than justifying modern territorial expansion, the Bible cautions that God sides with those who act justly
Muhammad Sharif OdehFollow
10:33 AM • March 22 2026 IST
Last month, during a high-profile interview between U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee and Tucker Carlson, the ambassador made assertions regarding the “Promised Land” that carry profound implications for the stability of our region.
Ambassador Huckabee suggested that “It would be fine” if Israel expanded across the territory mentioned in the Torah, an interpretation that seemingly includes the lands of Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Palestine. While many have responded with political condemnation, I believe it is vital to challenge these statements through the very scriptures they claim as authority.
To use religious text as a mandate for modern territorial expansion is an exercise in arbitrary interpretation. As the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the Holy Land, I submit that a responsible and precise reading of the Holy Scriptures demands a commitment to justice, not a justification for aggression.
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It is vital to be precise when citing the biblical text. The verse in Genesis 15:18 states: “To your offspring I have given this land,” continuing a theme from Genesis 13:15: “For all the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.”
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The word “offspring” (zera, in the Hebrew original) refers to all descendants of Abraham. According to the biblical tradition itself, Ishmael is also Abraham’s son, and he too was granted a divine blessing and promise.
In practice, the descendants of Ishmael (the Arab people) have lived for many generations across the vast territory between the Nile and the Euphrates. Their continuous presence in this land is evidence that the divine promise has already been fulfilled and continues to be fulfilled. This is not a promise to one group alone, but a broad promise to Abraham’s offspring as a whole.
We should learn from this divine promise the importance of coexistence between the children of Abraham in love, peace, and security, rather than inciting enmity and igniting the fire of division.
It is not the role of human beings to “take the whole land” based on a single, misinterpreted verse while ignoring the rest of the Holy Scriptures. Nor is it the divine will of the Sovereign of the Universe, who commanded in the Psalms: “Turn from evil and do good.” He also said (Psalms 37:27-29:
“For the Lord loves justice and will not forsake His faithful ones; they are preserved forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.”
The right to the land is strictly conditional upon the practice of justice and the fear of Heaven; this is how God bequeaths the land to the righteous. He does not favor a nation or a group arbitrarily, for He is the God of Truth and Justice, and He sides with those who act justly.
Furthermore, the Torah itself establishes a clear principle: the right to dwell in the land depends on the fulfillment of justice and God’s laws. When humans corrupt their way and do not practice justice, the land itself “vomits out” its inhabitants, as stated in Leviticus ( (18:26-28):
“You shall keep My statutes and My ordinances… so that the land does not vomit you out for defiling it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you.”
We must recognize that history and complex human reality are the ways in which God fulfills His word. Prophecies are not meant to be realized through force, injustice, bloodshed, or aggression toward neighbors, especially not toward those with whom peace and security agreements have been signed. Such aggression does not stem from religious prophecy, but from human impulses.
A responsible interpretation of the Holy Scriptures requires great caution, especially regarding human life and well-being. We must beware of arrogance and euphoria, remembering that God’s ways are ways of peace. God does not need “helpers” to fulfill His word through injustice. Man’s dwelling in the land is conditional upon doing good and upholding justice; otherwise, the land itself remains the ultimate judge.
Muhammad Sharif Odeh is the Amir of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Based in Haifa’s Kababir neighborhood, he has led the community since 1999 and is active in interfaith dialogue and public initiatives promoting coexistence and religious understanding. He writes about religion, society, and peacebuilding in the Holy Land.
Categories: Arab World, Israel, Jews, Palestine