The concept of the “Greater Israel” has again started making rounds on social media after some Israeli soldiers were seen wearing badges of a “Greater Israel Map” on their uniforms while doing ground operation in Gaza. Seeing this, the concept of Greater Israel has again emerged and analysts have started giving their opinions on this historical subject.
Not to mention, a well-known Iraqi quotation says, “A Day will come when our borders will stretch from Lebanon to the great deserts of Saudi Arabia, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates.” Also, an interview of an Israeli writer, Avi Lipkin, also got noticed by a large number of people in January of this year in which he stated:
“On the other side of the Euphrates, there are Kurds who are our friends. Behind us is the Mediterranean Sea and in front of us is the Kurdistan. Lebanon needs Israel’s protection and I am sure that we will also capture Mecca and Medina and Sinai and purify these places.”
Now as the war in Gaza and now Lebanon is ongoing and the atrocities of Israel are not showing any signs of retraction, the concept of “Greater Israel” has again made heads up. It should be noted that “Greater Israel” is also called “The Promised Land” and according to this, it includes parts of Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Egypt.
However, it is pertinent to mention here that the atrocities of Israel in these countries are increasing day by day which Israel claims to be a part of it. The founder of Zionism, Theodore Herzl, stated that the map of the ‘Promised Land’ or ‘Greater Israel’ includes the areas from Nile River in Egypt to the Euphrates River in Iraq, i.e. Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia will also be part of Greater Israel.
But in 1947, the United Nations has divided Palestine into two states i.e., Jewish and Arab states and Jerusalem was nominated as an international city. However, the reaction of Israel on this partition was harsh as Israeli politician and former Prime Minister, Menachem Begin, stated that they do not accept this partition and that, the partition is illegal. He further stated that Jerusalem is and always will be the capital of the “Greater Israel.”
On the other hand, the author of Zionism 2.0, Adrienne Stein, stated that the concept of “Greater Israel” means different things to different people. He reiterated the fact that those Jews who are living in and out of Israel, the term “Greater Israel” means all the area up to the West Bank (Jordan River). Referring to this context, Taqi Nasirat stated that “Israel has a biblical and historical right to the lands that stretch not only from ‘river to sea’ but also from ‘river to river’. are that being, from the Euphrates River to the Nile River and all areas in between.”
On the other hand, Omar Karim, who is an expert on Middle East affairs, stated that the concept of “Greater Israel” is nothing more than a mere myth. He asserts the fact that “when the children of Israel came out of Egypt, their center was Palestine, where they settled including the places where the Jews lived. Greater Israel is a fantasy that is not practical, but it is mentioned more in Zionist politics than the Jews.They consider Gaza as their part, but if it is only a ‘fantasy’, Greater Israel includes parts of the Arabian Peninsula, today’s Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt.”
Also, if you remember, when the Israeli minister made a speech in Paris, he showed the map of “Greater Israel” which depicted Jordan and West Bank as part of Israel. However, on this, Jordan harshly reacted and protested. At the same time, it said that Israel has violated the settled peace agreement between the two countries.
After the storm caused by the publishing of a picture of Israel's Minister of Finance next to a map of the Land of Israel which included the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, I spoke this evening with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. >>
— Tzachi Hanegbi • צחי הנגבי (@Tzachi_Hanegbi) March 20, 2023
On that note, Omar Karim believes that the concept of “Greater Israel” is actually just a myth and even if Israel wants to implement it, it would not be possible without the political and military support of the West. This is just a fantasy which certain extremist groups want to use it for their own political campaigns, and for it to become reality is actually near to impossible.
Cruel Israel