Politics
“Greater Israel” and Regional Turbulence: Strategic Calculation or Strategic Miscalculation?
Mike Huckabee’s statements in his interview with Tucker Carlson brought into focus what critics describe as the hidden ideological foundation of Washington and Tel Aviv’s current Middle East strategy. At the center of attention is not only the military operation against Iran, launched on February 28, 2026, but also its symbolic context: the attack coincided with the Jewish holiday of Purim, adding another layer of religious and political resonance to the events.
Take it all at face value; it is surely more than coincidence for some Jews that the military operation was launched on the day that the Jewish people recite the Torah’s commandment to remember Amalek, the Jews’ principal foe during their early years as a people, which is read on the Shabbat preceding the holiday of Purim.
The headline in some Jewish publications is self-revealing: “On Purim Eve, Iran’s Architect of Terror is Dead: In joint US-Israel operation, Iranian top command has been eliminated.” Purim started Monday night, March 2, and ran until Tuesday, March 3.
And let’s not forget Huckabee’s earlier interview, which exposes much, perhaps too much, about America’s less than balanced relationship with Israel. He acts as if he has a direct line with God and knows something that the rest of us are not privy to. And that is just the beginning, as for the rhetorical subterfuge and downright lies that have become the standard for US domestic and foreign policy—one only has to listen to the double-speak of Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance to get the impression of a game of “good cop” vs. “bad cop” when it comes to the Trump Administration.
Did you see Trump’s SOTU address?
It is REALLY a clown show from all parties. Read about it first, and then listen to the comedians having an already prepared script, as the best fiction writers could not come up with such rhetoric and expect people to buy it. Finally, listen to it yourself—then really think about what is happening at home and on the international stage!
It is jaw-dropping to believe that some people can still take Trump and his US Secretaries of State, War, and Ambassadors, especially the one to Israel, seriously, especially after the SOTU address, Huckabee’s disastrous interview, and the press conferences given by Hesgith and Rubio about “Operation Epic Fury,” which is already being lampooned as “Operation Epstein’s Fury” on social media.
President Donald Trump used the State of the Union (STOU) to argue that the country is “winning” under his leadership, even as his approval ratings crash and burn. He focused on jobs, manufacturing, and an economy he says is stronger than many Americans believe, according to recent questionable opinion poll results, which indicate he has a ruinously high disapproval rating across a number of polls.
Trump’s most ominous statement, though, was about his negotiations with Iran, where he blatantly lied, saying:
“We are in negotiations with ’em. They want to make a deal. But we haven’t heard those secret words: “We will never have a nuclear weapon.””
This despite the Iranian government’s repeated public and private statements that they have no desire to develop nuclear weapons, such as the recent statement by the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, said:
“Our fundamental convictions are crystal clear: Iran will under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon; neither will we Iranians ever forgo our right to harness the dividends of peaceful nuclear technology for our people,”
Then we have the reprehensible Mike Huckabee, US Ambassador to Israel, who said of the plan for GREATER Israel, which we all know from actions on the ground, (Syria, Lebanon, ongoing genocide, and plans to take all of Palestine), that “it would be fine if it took it all.” Needless to say, such a blunt statement has caused outrage amongst Middle Eastern countries and put at severe risk US moves to normalize relations between the Jewish state and its neighbors.
Huckabee is a known evangelical Christian Zionist and staunch supporter of Israel, RIGHT OR WRONG? With a long history of opposing a two-state solution and advocating for Israeli sovereignty in disputed territories. Some argue that he acts more as the Israeli ambassador to the US than in the role that he is actually supposed to serve.
When asked by Tucker Carlson about biblical promises (Genesis 15) regarding the Land of Israel (referenced as the land from the Nile to the Euphrates), Huckabee stated, strongly supporting what he sees as Israel’s right to take other countries lands. Huckabee made a series of wild claims about Greater Israel, US arms funding, the use of language to dismiss the use of the terms “Gaza” and “the West Bank,” and even confirmed how much of that money given to Israel goes right back to the US to buy ammunition. He falsely claimed that Palestinians were using children as human shields and declared that it was right for Israel to kill Palestinian children.
Dark Cloud with Silver Lining
Such hubris and narrow-minded rhetoric is a dark cloud with a silver lining, bringing together a vast cross section of Islamic society. This phrasing, “take it all,” has been a rallying cry. The response was swift and coordinated.
A joint statement issued shortly after the interview’s release—signed by the foreign ministries of at least 14 nations (including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan)—along with the League of Arab States, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, described the comments as “dangerous and inflammatory.”
The statement characterized them as a “flagrant violation” of international law, the UN Charter, and norms of diplomacy, while asserting that they threatened regional security and stability.
Epic Fury
All this has come to a head with the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran, which commenced on Saturday, 28th February, 2026, with missile strikes from both naval and air assets, including decapitation strikes, one of which killed the Iranian spiritual and political leader, Ayatollah Ali Kahmeini, along with several members of his family, along with a number of senior military and political leaders, as they met to discuss the latest proposals from the negotiations with the US.
Unlike the 12-day war in 2025, where there was a considerable delay in the Iranian response, this time the Iranian military responded in less than 15 minutes, stunning the US and Israeli military, who had expected a much longer delay in which they could run rampant.
The Iranians also stunned the Americans by keeping their promise to hit any base that the US occupied in the region, as well as economic and military targets in countries that hosted US bases, such as Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
The messages coming out of the US administration are contradictory, with Trump constantly changing his self-proclaimed timeline from an initial “5 days” to the current “several weeks” and jumping between the ideas of “regime change” or “stopping the missile/(nonexistent) nuclear bomb program,” while “War Bro” (Secretary of War) Pete Hesgeth stunningly claimed, “We didn’t start this war,” in a press conference updating the public on the operation. Rubio, on the other hand, admitted that the decision was made to strike Iran first, which was confirmed by Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview with John Hannity, where the genocidal Bibi gloated about the strikes.
New Front Opens in Lebanon
The situation in the Middle East is now escalating rapidly amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. Israel has now expanded operations into Lebanon, with ground forces advancing into southern areas and conducting airstrikes on Beirut (including its southern suburbs like Dahiyeh), targeting Hezbollah positions, weapons storage, and command centers. This follows Hezbollah’s recent missile and drone attacks on northern Israel, which appear to be in retaliation for broader regional developments involving Iran.
Reports indicate Israeli troops are seizing strategic locations in southern Lebanon as a “forward defense” measure, with evacuation orders issued for dozens of Lebanese villages. Airstrikes have hit Beirut for consecutive days, causing significant damage, civilian casualties (at least dozens reported killed and injured), and mass displacement. Hezbollah has described this as Israel pushing for “open war,” signaling the end of restraint after a prior ceasefire.
Meanwhile, in Bahrain, the majority Shiite population is now rioting in what appears to be open revolt, with Saudi troops being sent in to try and restore order. Given the public sympathies in most Arab states are firmly with Iran, this could rapidly spread.
Even worse, Trump has now refused to rule out the deployment of ground troops, as he flounders trying to pull a win out of a rapidly deteriorating situation.
Some evangelical Christians, particularly those who interpret current events through biblical prophecy (e.g., linking Middle East conflicts to end-times scenarios in Ezekiel or other texts), are speculating that these developments could signal the imminent return of the Messiah (often referred to as the Second Coming) and the Great Rapture.
Discussions in certain online communities and prophecy-focused sites tie 2026 to potential fulfillment of such prophecies, though mainstream Christian theology generally cautions against setting specific dates or interpretation of such prophecies. Worst of all, it is coming to light that US commanders briefed troops that the Iran war was part of God’s plan to usher in the End Times and bring about Jesus Christ’s second coming. From a traditional Christian perspective, this is a heresy of the first order.
Combined with the Jihad ordered by religious leaders in retaliation for the Ayatollah’s death, the scene is set for a disaster of Biblical proportions.
Jeffrey K. Silverman is a freelance journalist and international development specialist, BSc, MSc, based for 30 years in Georgia and the former Soviet
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