Israel’s “Greater Israel” Rhetoric Fuels Fears of Regional Escalation

Israel’s latest push of expansionist rhetoric has ignited anger across the Arab world, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly embracing the vision of a so-called “Greater Israel” that stretches far beyond Palestine’s occupied lands. In a televised interview, he brandished a map absorbing parts of Jordan, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon, portraying this territorial ambition as a “historic and spiritual mission.”

The statements, rooted in the ideology of Zionism and long reflected in settlement expansion, come less than three weeks after the Knesset moved to tighten control over the occupied West Bank. They echo the same rejection of Palestinian statehood that has defined Israeli policy, while signalling ambitions to redraw the region’s borders under religious and nationalist pretexts.

Analysts warn that such rhetoric could backfire, stirring resistance among neighbouring states and exposing Israel’s strategic miscalculations. Arab commentators point to Netanyahu’s use of religious extremism to rally support at home, despite Israel’s internal divisions and mounting international criticism. For many, the “Greater Israel” plan symbolises not strength but a dangerous illusion that risks igniting wider regional conflict.

From Cairo to Amman, Beirut to Doha, voices are calling for a unified Arab stance against what is seen as an existential threat, not only to Palestine but to the sovereignty and stability of the entire region. Behind the rhetoric lies a clear message: Israel’s war in Gaza and settlement drive in the West Bank are not isolated policies, but stepping stones in a broader project of domination that threatens to plunge the Middle East into deeper turmoil.

Source : Safa News