What is 'Greater Israel'?
His comments have sparked condemnations from many Arab states, who viewed his words as a threat to their sovereign territory.
The concept of Greater Israel, which has various interpretations, has long been invokved by ultra-nationalist Israelis.
It is often understood as a vision of territorial expansion to encompass Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan, along with significant parts of Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
It has also sometimes been used more narrowly to refer to the territories occupied by Israel in 1967: the Palestinian territories, the Golan Heights in Syria, and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
While Netanyahu's remarks are recent, the idea of Greater Israel is neither new nor clearly defined, and for some, it now appears increasingly relevant in light of Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Where did it start?
The concept of Greater Israel was explored by Theodor Herzl, the father of political Zionism, who wrote in his diaries that the Jewish state should stretch 'from the Brook of Egypt to the Euphrates'.
The phrase is taken from Book of Genesis, where God grants Abraham and his descendants a vast expanse of land stretching "from the Brook of Egypt to the Euphrates."
Some Israelis refer to a narrower vision mentioned in the Book of Deuteronomy, where God instructs Moses to lead the Israelites in taking possession of Palestine, Lebanon, and parts of Egypt, Jordan and Syria.
Others invoke the Book of Samuel, which describes lands secured by Kings Saul and David, including Palestine, Lebanon, and sections of Jordan and Syria.
For those who hold this belief, the pursuit of Greater Israel is not merely political, it is the fulfilment of a divine mandate, a reclamation of land they see as rightfully theirs.
How has Greater Israel changed?
Following the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the country's borders remained undefined.
In 1967, during the Six-Day War, Israel occupied the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, along with the Golan Heights in Syria and the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.
It was the first major military effort by Israel to expand its territorial control. Sinai was later returned to Egypt as part of a peace treaty, while the Golan Heights were formally annexed by Israel.
The war brought renewed attention to the idea of Greater Israel, particularly among religious Zionists.
By the late 20th century, the term had become political shorthand, embraced by some Israelis as the realisation of a historical and religious destiny.
The "Movement for Greater Israel", a political party founded in the aftermath of the Six-Day War, was active until the late 1970s. It advocated for retaining the captured territories and settling them with Jewish citizens.
How does the current government view the vision?
Since the current Israeli gonvment was sworn in in 2022, refernce to Greater Israel became more common.
Last year, in a documentary, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was filmed advocating for the expansion of Israeli borders to include Damascus.
He suggested that Israel would gradually grow to encompass not only all Palestinian territories but also parts of Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
'It is written that the future of Jerusalem is to expand to Damascus,' he said, invoking the 'Greater Israel' ideology.
Smotrich had previously raised similar ideas during a 2023 memorial service for a Likud activist in Paris.
Speaking from a podium adorned with a map of Israel that included Jordan, he controversially stated that 'there is no such thing' as the Palestinian people.
Other ministers and MPs have opennly advocated for "taking land" from Palestinians in in the Gaza Strip.
During the ongoing genoicde, an Israeli soldier was pictured with a patch of map of Greater Israel in on his uniform.
The latest incident came earlier this week, when Netanyahu explicitly reaffirmed his commitment to the vision.
His comments came amid ongoing Israeli military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and parts of southern Lebanon and southern Syria.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Middle East Eye
an hour ago
- Middle East Eye
Nobel laureates, top economists urge Netanyahu to halt Gaza occupation, starvation
Ten Nobel Prize winners are among a slate of 23 of the most highly-regarded economists in the US and Europe who penned a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, asking him to rescind his plans to militarily occupy Gaza City, and urging him to allow unrestricted food aid into the enclave. The first signatory to the letter is Nobel laureate, MIT economist, and co-author of the international bestseller Why Nations Fail, Daron Acemoglu. He shared the letter on X on Friday. "We write with urgent concern about the spreading starvation in Gaza and the Israeli government's plan to concentrate civilians in a so-called 'humanitarian city,'" the letter says. "As human beings and as economists and scientists, we call for an immediate halt to any policy that intensifies widespread starvation". The second paragraph denounces the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel, but adds, "that does not absolve the Israeli government, which controls the flow and distribution of aid, of responsibility". New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The economists cite the United Nations World Food Programme's data, which shows that nearly one-third of Gaza's 2.1 million residents have endured multiple days without food, and that market prices in the enclave are now ten times higher compared to prices from just three months ago. They also describe the scandal-plagued, US-backed, and "Israeli-coordinated" Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) as "deadly". The United Nations says that since May, more than 1,700 people have died while seeking aid from GHF sites. Palestinians have called it a "death trap". "Under the guise of relief, the proposed 'humanitarian city' would relocate hundreds of thousands of Gazans into a confined zone, stripping them of freedom of movement and basic dignity," the letter says. "It is unconscionable for Israel to treat civilians as liabilities". The letter is referring to a "humanitarian city" that Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz proposed building in Rafah, which former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said would be a "concentration camp". Warning to Israel The Israeli army already controls at least 75 percent of the strip. Last week, Netanyahu announced his intention for a military occupation of Gaza City, which would mean a complete Israeli takeover. Governments around the world, including allies like the UK, France, Canada, and Germany, have condemned the move. The Trump administration has said it leaves the decision to Israel. Why Gaza's genocide ranks among the gravest horrors of human history Read More » "In light of mounting evidence of mass starvation and human-rights violations, European governments may well impose targeted sanctions, inflicting severe damage on science, trade and employment. There are already early signs of that," the economists say. They warned that ratings agencies are likely to continue to downgrade Israel's sovereign debt, driving up borrowing costs just as the state faces massive reconstruction and defence bills. Skilled workers, especially in the tech sector, would also likely leave Israel, they added. In addition to walking back a Gaza takeover plan and opening the borders to aid trucks, the letter calls on Israel to immediately "issue a formal declaration [which] reaffirms Israel's commitment to human rights and international law" and "pursue in good faith a ceasefire accord". The economists said they want "Western leaders to actively work to ensure that these policies are implemented", and that only by doing so can Israel "preserve its democratic character". The letter makes no mention of genocide or ethnic cleansing. Over 61,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began. Along with Acemoglu, the Nobel Prize-winning economists of the 23 signatories include Angus Deaton; Peter A Diamond; Esther Duflo; Claudia Goldin; Eric S Maskin; Roger B Myerson; Edmund S Phelps; Christopher A Pissarides; and Joseph E Stiglitz. Together, their research and consultancy have helped shape the economic trajectory of much of the western world, including institutions like the International Monetary Fund.
Middle East Eye
2 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
UN describes video of Ben-Gvir threatening Barghouti as 'disturbing'
United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the video of far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's threatening visit to Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti in prison was "distrubing", Al Jazeera reported on Friday. 'I can tell you that the video is disturbing,' Dujarric told Al Jazeera. Family members said they were concerned by how gaunt and tired the 66-year-old, much-loved leader looks. Barghouti has been dubbed the Palestinian Nelson Mandela. 'It's worth reminding that, prisoners need to be treated… in a way that abides by international law and that respects their inherent dignity,' Dujarric added. 'He, like any other prisoner, needs to have his rights fully respected and his safety needs to be ensured,' the spokesperson added. Barghouti has been detained since 2002 and has been assaulted while in prison, including as recently as last year.
Middle East Eye
5 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
West Bank: France condemns Israel's destruction of a school it helped fund and build
France's foreign ministry has condemned Israel's demolition of a school that was financeed and built by the French Development Agency (AFD) in partnership with the European Union, Al Jazeera reported on Friday. The school in the village of Aqaba near Tubas in the West Bank, was demolished on 5 August. It was supposed to enrol around 100 local Palestinian children 'The continuation of the colonial policy constitutes a serious violation of international law and threatens the possibility of a two-state solution,' the ministry said in a statement. The AFD also added the school was the second educational facility it had financed by to be demolished by the Israeli army in the West Bank. AFD says on its website it works to implement France's policies of development and international solidarity.
