Photo’s Source: https://www.middleeasteye.net/explainers/what-greater-israel

Recent comments by the United States of America and Israel have raised concerns amongst the international community, as the two countries indulge in conversations regarding the Greater Israel project. Particular outrage has surfaced amongst Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan, who feel their sovereignty has been threatened, and the United Nations Security Council, who’s calls for an end of the expansion of Israeli settlements have been repeatedly ignored.

Origins of a Zionist Ideology:

The idea of “Greater Israel” began with the creation of the Zionist ideology of a promised Jewish homeland and was first explored by Theodor Herzl, the father of political Zionism, who wrote in his diaries that the Jewish state should stretch “from the Book of Egypt to the Euphrates”.[i] This vision is that of territorial expansion of the occupied Palestinian territories, all of Lebanon and Jordan, most of Syria, as well as parts of Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait; essentially, the project hopes to occupy about 25% of the Middle East.

The idea of “greater Israel” as a practical goal first surfaced during the Arab-Israel war of 1967, when Israel occupied the Gaza Strip and West Bank, along with the Golan Heights in Syria and the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. This was Israel’s first major military effort to expand its territorial control. The war of 1967 bought renewed attention to the idea of “Greater Israel”, particularly amongst religious Zionists, who claimed that the land was their God given right.

Contemporary conversation

What was once rarely publicly spoken of, is now openly discussed by Israeli officials without shame or hesitation. This has caused much tension amongst the international community, as countries such as Jordan and Egypt have put out official statements in defense of their sovereignty and the United Nations has tried to shut down the project in order to uphold international law.

Since the new government came into office in 2022, references to the concept of “Greater Israel” have become more visible in public discussions. This was further intensified since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza, during which the idea has come up more frequently during public statements, political debates, and United Nations meetings. Furthermore, during this period, a map of “Greater Israel” has circulated in the news and on social media platforms, bring more light to the situation and creating much discourse.

The events of 7^th October 2023 led to anger and increased prejudice amongst Israeli citizens and officials. The Israeli far-right pushed ideas of such a project, referring to historical claims they had to the land, as well as the dehumanization of Palestinians and Arabs to spread their agenda. Israel’s government repeatedly endorse this ideology, making references to “historical rights”. In the summer of 2025, the Knesset adopted a motion calling for the annexation of the entire West Bank, declaring it an “inseparable part of the Land of Israel”.[ii] Additionally, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that Israeli forces will remain indefinitely in parts of Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon under the justification of creating “security zones”.[iii]

One of the main contemporary advocates for the expansion of “Greater Israel” is Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. He first mentioned the project in the public light on 19^th March 2023 during a speech in Paris, where he displayed a map which spanned the territory of modern Israel, the West Bank, and the entire Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.[iv] Smotrich has regularly called for the annexation of the entire West Bank and is currently pushing ahead with several projects designed to make Palestinian self-determination impossible.[v]

Active pursuit of this goal

The expansion of Israel into further Middle Eastern territories not only disregards Palestinians’ rights to their land, rights to return, and rights of self-determination, but also attacks the sovereignty of the neighboring Arab states. The “Greater Israel” project follows the blueprint of Western colonization, where expansion is pursued through settlements and the displacement of local populations. This has already been since throughout the West Bank, Syria, and more recently, Lebanon, despite many ceasefire agreements.  Israeli settlers have even attempted to sell Lebanese land and to establish illegal outposts in southern Lebanon, further demonstrating their willingness to indulge in the “Greater Israel” ideology.[vi]

Israel has spent decades using force and disregarding its neighbors’ sovereignty to achieve its goals of expansion, with the most recent events being the consistent bombing of Lebanon and the on and off attacks on Iran since the summer of 2025.[vii] These actions show that the pursuit of expansion has long been, and remains, a central goal for Tel Aviv. Through policy, military force, propaganda, and the creation of settlements, Israel has made way for acceptance of its Zionist ideology within the political sphere and embedded it into Israeli culture.  The idea of territorial growth continues to shape regional (as well as global) tensions as countries have become divided on their stance regarding the matter, with the Trump Administration being the biggest supporter for Israel’s goals. As a result, the concerns surrounding the “Greater Israel” project remain a significant source of instability in the Middle East and a point of ongoing dispute within the international community.

[i] https://www.middleeasteye.net/explainers/what-greater-israel

[ii] https://www.un.org/unispal/document/the-acts-of-genocide-of-palestinians-in-the-gaza-strip-and-the-territorial-expansion-of-occupied-areas-consistent-with-the-greater-israel-project-statement-by-the-chair-of-the/

[iii] https://www.un.org/unispal/document/the-acts-of-genocide-of-palestinians-in-the-gaza-strip-and-the-territorial-expansion-of-occupied-areas-consistent-with-the-greater-israel-project-statement-by-the-chair-of-the/

[iv] https://www.timesofisrael.com/far-right-lawmaker-bezalel-smotrich-declares-himself-his-family-real-palestinians/#:~:text=In%20Paris%2C%20far%2Dright%20minister,were%20the%20“real%20Palestinians.”

[v] https://www.rosalux.de/en/news/id/54514/greater-israel-from-political-ideology-to-territorial-practice

[vi] https://www.un.org/unispal/document/the-acts-of-genocide-of-palestinians-in-the-gaza-strip-and-the-territorial-expansion-of-occupied-areas-consistent-with-the-greater-israel-project-statement-by-the-chair-of-the/

[vii] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/26/what-is-greater-israel-and-how-popular-is-it-among-israelis