What is 'Greater Israel'?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he “very much” identifies with the vision of Greater Israel during an interview on Tuesday, as he accepted an amulet of the “promised land” from former right-wing MP Sharon Gal. 

His comments have sparked condemnations from many Arab states, who viewed his words as a threat to their sovereign territory. 

The concept of Greater Israel, which has various interpretations, has long been invoked by ultra-nationalist Israelis.

It is often understood as a vision of territorial expansion to encompass Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan, along with significant parts of Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

It has also sometimes been used more narrowly to refer to the territories occupied by Israel in 1967: the Palestinian territories, the Golan Heights in Syria, and Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

While Netanyahu’s remarks are recent, the idea of Greater Israel is neither new nor clearly defined, and for some, it now appears increasingly relevant in light of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.

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