Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo dismissed on Monday, 20 February 2023 the fact that Israel is an occupying nation by claiming that the Jewish state has a biblical claim to that land.

In an interview with the One Decision podcast on Thursday, Pompeo, who served as Secretary of State under former US President Donald Trump, said that Israel “is not an occupying nation”.

“This land, as an evangelical Christian, I am convinced from my reading of the Bible that 3,000 years onto now, in spite of the denial of so many, is the rightful homeland of the Jewish people,” Pompeo stated.

In the interview, Pompeo referred to the occupied West Bank by its Israeli name of Judea and Samaria. He also denied his support for a two-state solution, saying:

“I’m for an outcome that guarantees Israeli security and makes the lives better for everyone in the region.”

Pompeo’s remarks come amid rising tensions in the region and international outcry over the Israeli decision to expand its illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.