Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has once again revived the expansionist, settler-colonial vision that has long occupied the minds of Zionist leaders — the idea of a so-called “Greater Israel” encompassing vast territories from seven Arab countries, including Egypt and Jordan.
Netanyahu openly reaffirmed his deep attachment to this vision — one built on territorial expansion, occupation of more Arab lands, and the displacement of the Palestinian people.
In a Tuesday interview with the Hebrew-language channel i24, Netanyahu was asked whether he saw himself as being “on a mission on behalf of the Jewish people,” according to the Times of Israel.
His answer was revealing:
“I am on a generational mission. If you are asking whether I feel this mission historically and spiritually, the answer is yes. I am strongly connected — deeply connected — to the vision of Greater Israel.”
What Are the Boundaries of “Greater Israel”?
According to Zionist claims, the borders of “Greater Israel” would encompass:
- All of occupied Palestine
- Parts of Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait
This expansionist blueprint is accompanied by a parallel vision to fragment the remaining Arab states along ethnic and sectarian lines, ensuring their weakness and permanent instability.
Crucially, this vision does not exclude Egypt and Jordan — two countries that signed peace treaties with the occupying entity, believing the conflict had ended and that expansionist ambitions were relics of the past. Netanyahu — wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes — has now brought those ambitions back into the spotlight, showing his intent to pursue them.
The Origins of the “Greater Israel” Idea
The roots of this expansionist ideology trace back to religious claims and fabricated Biblical texts in the so-called “Torah,” which allege that the “Promised Land” stretches “from the River Nile in Egypt to the River Euphrates in Iraq.”
Early Zionist leaders — and later, Israeli politicians, especially hardline extremists — have repeated this claim for over a century.
- In 1904, Theodor Herzl, founder of the Zionist movement, declared that the borders of the Zionist state should extend “from the Nile to the Euphrates” as part of his expansionist project.
- In 2016, Israel’s then-Finance Minister (speaking as a Knesset member at the time) claimed in a televised interview that “Jerusalem’s borders should extend all the way to Damascus” and that “Israel must seize Jordan as well.”
Jordan’s Official Response — and Egypt’s Silence
On Wednesday, the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Netanyahu’s remarks on “Greater Israel,” describing them as a dangerous and provocative escalation, a threat to state sovereignty, and a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ambassador Sufyan Qudah stated in a press release (shared with Arabi21) that the Kingdom absolutely rejects these inciteful statements, stressing that such reckless fantasies will not undermine Jordan, the Arab states, or the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
He added that these statements reflect the deep political crisis of Israel’s current government and coincide with its increasing international isolation amid its ongoing aggression against Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Qudah further warned that the extremist claims promoted by members of Israel’s ruling coalition encourage cycles of violence and conflict, requiring a clear international stance to condemn them, caution against their consequences, and hold those responsible accountable.
He stressed the urgent need for the international community to act immediately to halt all Israeli incitement and destabilising measures threatening the region’s peace, stability, and security.
Meanwhile, as of this report’s publication, the Egyptian government has issued no official statement or comment on Netanyahu’s remarks.
