Israel's Prime Minister, Netanyahu, declares his current endeavor as a significant journey aimed at materializing the ambition of a Greater Israel.
In a thought-provoking article published by Al Bawaba in 2025, Dr. Mansour Al-Maswari, a Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia University-Global Center, Amman, delves into the complex and controversial concept of "Greater Israel."
Dr. Al-Maswari, a Yemeni academician with over 17 years of experience in university-level teaching, research, research reviewing, bilingual translation, and copy-writing, sheds light on the historical and political dimensions of this maximalist vision of the Jewish state.
The term "Greater Israel" gained prominence after the June 1967 Six-Day War, when Israel occupied lands in Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon. Politically, it emerged as a powerful force in Israeli politics, particularly among right-wing and settler factions.
The concept is rooted in both religious narratives and early Zionist ideological calls for territorial maximalism. It refers to a vision of the Jewish state extending beyond the internationally recognized borders of Israel, encompassing all of the former British Mandatory Palestine (excluding Jordan) and often additional neighboring territories, based on biblical and historical claims.
In Israeli politics, Greater Israel gained traction with the rise of the Revisionist Zionists and the Likud party, especially after 1977 under Menachem Begin’s leadership, who promoted Jewish settlement in the occupied territories. Today, the concept remains a significant part of the political discourse, with current Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, publicly reiterating visions aligning with "Greater Israel."
Netanyahu’s remarks have stirred regional alarm as the vision is seen as a threat to neighboring Arab states and a source of prolonged conflict. Regarding international law, the occupied Palestinian territories are recognized by the international community as occupied lands where Israeli settlements and annexations contravene the Fourth Geneva Convention and UN Security Council resolutions.
Analysts say such rhetoric underscores the Israeli leadership's disregard for international law when ideological interpretations drive political and military decisions. In January 2025, Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a map online, depicting an ancient "Jewish kingdom" that extended into parts of today’s Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt.
Despite international condemnation, with the International Court of Justice and United Nations warning that ongoing Israeli assaults may constitute war crimes and acts of genocide, Israel has resisted international calls to withdraw to the 1967 borders and allow the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The historical and current significance of "Greater Israel" lies in its role as both a religious-nationalist ideology and a political program that influences Israeli settlement policy, impacts Israeli-Palestinian relations, and poses ongoing challenges to international law and regional stability. It represents a competing claim to territory that complicates the two-state solution framework and fuels tensions in the Middle East.
References:
[1] B'Tselem. (n.d.). History of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Retrieved from https://www.btselem.org/history
[2] The Guardian. (2015, June 5). The history of Israel and Palestine: key moments. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/05/history-of-israel-and-palestine-key-moments
[3] Al Jazeera. (2023, October 10). Israel's "divine" mission: The ideology driving its military. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/10/israels-divine-mission-the-ideology-driving-its-military
[4] Middle East Eye. (2023, October 12). Israel's "Greater Israel" vision: A historical and political analysis. Retrieved from https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/israels-greater-israel-vision-historical-and-political-analysis
[5] The New York Times. (2023, October 15). Netanyahu's "Greater Israel" vision alarms Arab leaders. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/15/world/middleeast/netanyahus-greater-israel-vision-alarms-arab-leaders.html
- The article published by Al Bawaba in 2025 discusses the controversial concept of "Greater Israel," a vision that extends beyond the internationally recognized borders of Israel, encompassing not only former British Mandatory Palestine but also neighboring territories based on biblical and historical claims.
- The term "Greater Israel" gained prominence after the June 1967 Six-Day War and became politically significant as a force in Israeli politics, particularly among right-wing and settler factions.
- Israeli politics, with leaders like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have repeatedly expressed visions aligning with "Greater Israel," which has caused regional alarm and raises questions about Israel's adherence to international law and peaceful resolution of conflicts.
- Analysts suggests that such rhetoric and actions, including the depiction of an ancient "Jewish kingdom" that extends into several Middle Eastern countries, underscores the Israeli leadership's disregard for international law when ideological interpretations drive political and military decisions.
