Palestinian National Council Deputy Chairman Ali Faisal: Netanyahu Will Face a "New" October 7 of "Another Kind;" New Layers of Struggle Will Be Built Upon This, Until a Palestinian Victory is Achieve
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Shafaq News
7 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Greater Israel: Mythical dream or looming threat?
Shafaq News In 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published a book titled 'A Place Under the Sun,' in which he outlined his comprehensive ideological vision regarding the Palestinian issue. The book was released two years after the Oslo Accords were signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Israeli government. At its core, Netanyahu's perspective denied the existence of Palestine or a Palestinian people. He repeatedly referred to 'Arabs living in the land of Israel,' or 'the land of the Jews.' According to the book, all territory between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River is considered to be the exclusive domain of the Jewish people. In some parts, he even extended this claim to include the east bank of the Jordan River. In 2025, during a televised interview on i24 News, Netanyahu appeared with a 'charm' shaped like a map of the Promised Land. The right-wing leader, who has ruled Israel for over two decades, did not hesitate to declare that he was 'certainly' committed to the vision of 'Greater Israel.' He added: 'I am on a historical and spiritual mission… It is a mission of generations.' This statement sparked a wave of condemnation from 31 Arab and Islamic countries, as well as the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Gulf Cooperation Council. It also brought renewed attention to a long-standing project that has hovered between scriptural narratives and real-world politics for over a century: the project of 'Greater Israel.' However, behind this controversial phrase lies a much older story — one that stretches from the Basel Conference in 1897, through the Balfour Declaration in 1917, and the 1967 war, marked by decades of settlement expansion and political rhetoric that combined religious symbols with strategic aims. Origins Of The Vision The topic remains deeply sensitive and controversial for many across the region — both for opponents of Israel and for those seeking coexistence through normalization agreements. The sensitivity is so acute that several historians and scholars specializing in Zionist ideology and regional history declined to comment, citing the topic's complexity and delicacy. Looking back, over a century ago in a small hall in the Swiss city of Basel in 1897, the First Zionist Congress laid out the contours of a concept that continues to provoke debate today: a national homeland for the Jews, extending beyond historical Palestine, and rooted in a religious narrative describing a land stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates. More than a hundred years later, this vision — known as 'Greater Israel' — remains present in the rhetoric of Israeli politicians, as a symbol in religious slogans, and as a perceived existential threat among many Arabs. While some researchers view it as a political myth unlikely to be realized, others warn that its recurring presence in Israeli political discourse keeps the region in a state of perpetual anxiety, where borders become fluid concepts beyond the scope of international law. Roots Of The Israeli Project Ashraf Akka, an expert in international relations based in Ramallah, told Shafaq News that the project is not a recent development nor a product of contemporary extremism. Its roots go back to 1917, when the Balfour Declaration gave Jews the British-backed promise of a national home in Palestine. 'But the declaration wasn't geographically limited — it carried within it a broader vision extending to natural Palestine between the Nile and the Euphrates,' he said. Akka added that Netanyahu's own writings reflect this interpretation, as he views the state established by the British Mandate on part of Palestine as an incomplete promise — a deviation that must be corrected. He pointed to the 1920 San Remo Conference and colonial understandings like the Sykes-Picot Agreement as factors that granted Zionism more space to envision a redrawn geography in the region, segmented in ways that served the interests of global powers while opening the door to Israeli territorial ambitions. In Jerusalem, historian Hussein al-Deek explained that the project is not merely a political document, but one deeply rooted in religious texts. In an interview with Shafaq News, he noted that both the Torah and the Talmud describe the Promised Land as stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates. The symbolism, he said, 'is evident in the Israeli flag's two blue stripes and in the national anthem Hatikvah, which evokes a dream of controlling the land between the rivers.' Even currency, according to al-Deek, carried maps that went beyond Palestine to include Iraq and Kuwait in the east, Egypt and Saudi Arabia to the south, and Syria and Lebanon to the north. 'These symbols are not random; they are political-religious messages passed down through generations,' al-Deek explained. With the rise of the Likud party in the 1970s, this symbolism began to transform into actual policy, through expanded settlements and rejection of compromises with Arab states. Al-Deek argued that this is when the idea of 'Greater Israel' became a declared political option rather than just a religious aspiration. This symbolic dimension was on display again on September 23, 2023, when Netanyahu stood before the UN General Assembly at its 78th session to present his vision for a 'New Middle East.' He showcased a map shaded in dark green, highlighting countries with which Israel has peace agreements or is negotiating normalization: Egypt, Sudan, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Jordan. The map, however, showed no trace of a Palestinian state — the blue area labeled 'Israel' fully covered the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The scene evoked memories of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's earlier controversy in Paris, when he displayed a map that included Jordan and Palestinian territories alongside his controversial statement: 'There is no such thing as the Palestinian people.' Analysts saw this as part of a diplomatic version of the 'Greater Israel' narrative. After the speech, Netanyahu posted on social media: 'The greatest achievement of my life is to fight for you and for our country. Shabbat Shalom.' Between Myth and History Yet some see the story from a different perspective. At Alexandria University, Professor Ahmed Fouad Anwar, a scholar of Zionist thought, described the project as 'more mythical than realistic,' telling Shafaq News that history does not support the existence of a centralized, powerful Jewish state that ever controlled such a vast territory. 'Israelites lived in fragmented principalities and had short-lived periods of rule,' Anwar explained. He also pointed out that even within religious Jewish communities, there was opposition to the establishment of the Israeli state in 1948, viewing it as a premature attempt at divine redemption. Zionists themselves initially debated locations for the homeland, including proposals in Africa or Sinai. 'The lack of a constitution and defined borders for Israel to this day reflects an open-ended ambition, but also exposes the limitations of realizing the 'Greater Israel' project,' he added. The Israeli discourse itself has undergone significant shifts. While earlier leaders focused on negotiations and security, the current government employs more explicit references to religious texts and expansionist maps. This contrast between 'symbolism' and 'policy' explains why opinions are divided over how seriously to take the idea of Greater Israel. In Beirut, Mohsen Saleh, director of the Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies, explained that 'Greater Israel' is a direct reflection of current Israeli government policies, which he describes as the most extreme since the state's founding. Saleh told Shafaq News that maps from decades past continue to reappear — covering Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and parts of Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. 'These are not just symbols, but expressions of strategic ambitions targeting the entire Arab and Islamic world,' he affirmed, adding that the project is built on keeping the region fragmented and weak. 'Any unified renaissance project is viewed as an existential threat to this entity,' Saleh continued. For him, the issue is not limited to Palestine, but is part of a broader civilizational conflict. One of the key events that brought the idea of 'Greater Israel' back to the forefront was the escalation surrounding the Gaza war following Hamas's October 2023 attack, which opened the door to new questions: Is Israel truly aiming to impose expansionist facts beyond Palestine's borders, or is the objective limited to full military control over Gaza? A Contrasting Israeli-Jewish Voice To delve deeper into the issue, Shafaq News turned to the Jewish community in Washington. Israeli-American writer and activist Miko Peled argues that the 'Greater Israel' project has no practical meaning on the ground. 'If realized, it would include millions of Arabs and Palestinians — this is not realistic,' he said. 'I do not believe for a second that there is a genuine intention to expand borders beyond historic Palestine. It is merely a political phrase Netanyahu uses to comfort settlers and the far-right.' Peled added that while the idea stems from the rhetoric of the far-right Zionist movement, it has never gone beyond ideological slogans. 'The reality is that the borders Israeli leaders aspire to today do not go beyond the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. That's the actual ceiling — not the Nile and the Euphrates.' Pointing out that Israel already controls nearly eight million Palestinians, making Jews a minority in historic Palestine — undermining any logic for further expansion, he noted that 'It's illogical for a state facing internal demographic challenges to seek to annex millions more.' However, Peled sees the real danger in Gaza, where — according to him — a large-scale military operation is being planned, aimed at full control over the Strip. 'They are talking about deploying 100,000 troops into Gaza. This is the actual plan being implemented now — not fantasies about expanding to Iraq or Morocco.' He concluded that this is not a genuine political plan, but rather an 'extremist messianic vision used for media purposes.' 'The real threat isn't in the Nile-to-Euphrates maps, but in what's happening every day in Gaza and the West Bank.'
Iraqi News
11 hours ago
- Iraqi News
Analysis by economic expert reveals Iraq is a key multi-dimensional partner for Turkey
Baghdad ( – An economic analysis by expert Manar Al-Obaidi highlights that Iraq is a pivotal partner for Turkey, with a multi-faceted relationship that extends well beyond trade to significantly impact vital Turkish economic sectors. This deep connection, however, also presents Iraq with considerable economic leverage that can be used in key negotiations. The commercial and financial relationship According to Al-Obaidi's analysis, Iraq's role as a major importer of Turkish goods is significant. The country ranks as Turkey's fifth-largest global importer, accounting for over 4% of all Turkish exports. In 2024 alone, this amounted to over $11 billion. Over the last five years, Iraq imported more than $52 billion worth of Turkish goods. The analysis also reveals a severe trade imbalance, with Turkey enjoying a surplus of over $54 billion with Iraq in the last five years. While Iraq's imports dominate in certain sectors, its own exports to Turkey are minimal, totaling less than $3 billion over the same period, consisting mostly of raw materials for re-processing. Tourism and investment The report underscores the critical role of Iraqi tourism and investment in the Turkish economy. In 2024, approximately 2 million Iraqi tourists visited Turkey, spending over $2 billion. Over a decade (2015–2024), more than 14 million Iraqi tourists spent over $13 billion, making Iraq the sixth-largest source of tourists for Turkey globally. In the real estate market, Iraqis have been a driving force among foreign investors in Turkey, purchasing over 45,000 residential and commercial properties valued at more than $2 billion within the last five years. Strategic leverage Al-Obaidi also points out that Turkish investments in Iraq over the last decade have reached over $35 billion, with Turkish companies securing a majority of contracts for housing complexes and other major infrastructure projects. He notes that this comprehensive economic interdependence, including an estimated $1 billion in annual remittances from Iraqis to Turkey, gives Iraq significant economic leverage. This strategic advantage, the analysis concludes, could be effectively utilized by Iraq to strengthen its negotiating position on contentious issues, particularly concerning water rights and the massive trade imbalance with Turkey.
Shafaq News
14 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Protests for Gaza hostages escalate in Israel
Shafaq News – Middle East Hundreds of thousands of Israeli protesters marched toward the headquarters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, pressing the government to act on the release of hostages held in Gaza. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum estimated that more than one million people took part in rallies nationwide, with Tel Aviv emerging as the main center of protest. Leading the marches, families of hostages urged authorities to make the captives' release a top priority. Across major cities, demonstrators blocked roads and gathered outside government buildings and military sites. Local media reported that police responded with water cannons and detained more than 30 protesters after fires were set near the Likud offices. Officers also dispersed groups attempting to block the Ayalon Highway. The protests came after the Israeli Security Cabinet approved a plan to establish military control over Gaza. Officials described the move as ''necessary to dismantle Hamas,'' while critics cautioned it could complicate hostage negotiations and heighten domestic tensions. About 251 people were taken hostage during the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Since then, 148 have been released, while around 50 remain in captivity in Gaza. Israeli officials estimate that at least half of those still held are no longer alive.
