Arab states have widely condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's endorsement of a “Greater Israel,” calling his vision a dangerous provocation. The vision encompasses occupied Palestinian territories as well as parts of Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt.
In an interview with Israel’s i24 News channel Tuesday, Netanyahu described the idea as a generational mission passed down “from one generation to the next,” framing it as both spiritual and historic. “I feel like I am on a spiritual and historic mission for the Jewish people,” he said.
During the interview, far-right host and former Knesset member Sharon Gal presented Netanyahu with a charm containing a map of Greater Israel. Gal joked, “I won’t give it to you—I don’t want to get you into trouble. This is for your wife, Sara.”
When asked directly whether he personally identifies with the vision of Greater Israel, Netanyahu responded with “absolutely.”
Netanyahu’s comments were immediately met with condemnation from Arab states, with Jordan labeling them as a “provocative escalation” that threatens the sovereignty of neighboring states and violates international law.
Saudi Arabia also condemned the statement, rejecting the “expansionist plans adopted by the Israeli occupation authorities,” while Qatar denounced Netanyahu’s words as an “extension of the occupation’s approach based on arrogance, fueling crisis and conflicts, and blatantly infringing the sovereignty of states, international law, and the Charter of the United Nations, and international legitimacy resolutions.”
Meanwhile, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling for “clarification” on Netanyahu’s remarks. “Such talk undermines regional stability, rejects the path of peace, and contradicts the aspirations of international and regional actors working to secure lasting security,” the ministry said.
The League of Arab States described Netanyahu’s statements as a flagrant violation of international law and a serious threat to collective Arab national security. The League said the comments were an attempt to carve up the sovereign territories of neighboring countries to create a so-called “Greater Israel.”
“These remarks reflect expansionist, aggressive intentions that cannot be accepted or tolerated,” the League said in a statement. Accusing Netanyahu of clinging to a colonial mindset, it called on the UN Security Council to intervene.
Furthermore, the Gulf Cooperation Council issued a joint statement condemning Netanyahu’s comments as a blatant breach of international law and a direct assault on regional stability.
“These dangerous declarations highlight the true direction of the occupation forces and pose an immediate threat to both regional and global peace,” the statement read.
The vision of a “Greater Israel” goes way back, with the term first gaining traction following the 1967 war to refer to Israel’s control over East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, Sinai, and the Golan Heights.
Earlier this year, Israel’s Foreign Ministry published a map online that aligned with historic claims to a “Greater Israel.” The map depicted territory across occupied Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria, and linked it to ancient Jewish kingdoms.
Netanyahu’s statements can be interpreted as a continuation of policies Israel has already pursued this year. Just recently, the occupation army announced its intention to fully occupy Gaza, arguing it was the only way to end the 22-month assault. This follows a call last month from 14 Likud ministers and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana for Netanyahu to immediately annex the West Bank.
The appeal was released in a message posted by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on X.
In the same month, the Knesset passed a preliminary bill urging the government to impose Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank and Jordan Valley. The measure passed with 71 votes in favor and just 13 opposed.
The bill states that these territories are “an inseparable part of the historical homeland of the Jewish people” and calls for “strategic steps” to formalize control.
Last February, US Republican lawmakers introduced legislation to eliminate the term “West Bank” from official government documents and replace it with “Judea and Samaria” — biblical terminology often used by Israeli settlers and right-wing politicians to assert historical claims.
