Egypt seeks clarification on the ideology upheld by Netanyahu
In the heart of the Middle East, the vision of "Greater Israel" continues to shape political discourse and fuel controversy. This territorial concept, reaching from the Nile to the Euphrates rivers, encompassing modern Israel, the Palestinian territories, and parts of neighbouring Arab countries, has deep roots in Zionist ideology.
Historically, the Labor Zionist leadership accepted the pragmatic partition of British Palestine into Jewish and Arab states at Israel's founding in 1948, effectively rejecting Greater Israel as a political aim. However, the Revisionist Zionists, who evolved into today's Likud party, sought "Whole Land of Israel" — a Greater Israel that included territory beyond the 1948 borders.
The 1967 Six-Day War significantly influenced the Greater Israel movement. Israel's capture of the West Bank, Gaza, Sinai, and the Golan Heights energised the Movement for Greater Israel and the expansion of Jewish settlements. Leaders like Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir, both Likud leaders, supported Jewish settlement in the West Bank but did not annex these territories immediately, aware of the risk to Israel's identity as a Jewish state.
In the current political landscape, Benjamin Netanyahu, the longtime Likud leader and Israeli Prime Minister, publicly expresses a strong attachment to the vision of Greater Israel. His rhetoric and policies reflect an expansionist approach consistent with Greater Israel ideology, supporting territorial expansion and maintaining control over the West Bank and Gaza. His government has not pursued a two-state solution; rather, his actions suggest rejection of a Palestinian state, fitting with his Greater Israel vision.
Gideon Sa'ar, a prominent right-wing politician and former Likud member who founded the New Hope party, aligns with a nationalist approach but is considered somewhat more moderate or pragmatic compared to Netanyahu. Sa'ar has advocated for strong security measures and may entertain limited territorial compromises but still opposes a full Palestinian state under current conditions.
The historical acceptance of partition and a two-state solution by the Labor Zionists has largely been eroded among the right-wing political establishment. Netanyahu and many in Likud have moved away from the two-state solution framework, often opposing Palestinian sovereignty in the West Bank and Gaza in favour of Israeli sovereignty or control. Settlement expansion and policies under Netanyahu and like-minded leaders have made a contiguous Palestinian state increasingly impractical.
In conclusion, while the notion of Greater Israel has deep roots in Zionist ideology, it remains controversial and politically charged. The current Israeli government under Netanyahu strongly leans toward the realization of this vision at the expense of any viable two-state solution. Other figures like Gideon Sa'ar may hold more nuanced views but generally operate within a nationalist framework skeptical of Palestinian sovereignty. Historical acceptance of partition has largely been superseded by policies that favour expansion and consolidation of Israeli control over broader territory than envisioned in 1948.
Read also:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
- Massive 8.8 earthquake hits off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, prompting Japan to issue a tsunami alert.
- Court petitions to reverse established decision on same-sex marriage legalization
- Independence supporters in New Caledonia refuse agreement offering authority without a vote on sovereignty
