Israel’s Greater Dream: Reality or Fantasy

In my previous column, after mentioning “Greater Israel,” I received numerous messages, particularly from young people, asking for more details. Many readers dismiss it as a mythical narrative aimed at boosting Israel’s unchecked power and propaganda. It is important to remember that a writer’s responsibility is to thoroughly research and share information with their audience, with readers’ feedback holding significant value. The concept of Greater Israel first emerged after the Arab-Israeli war of 1967, but Israel remained silent on the matter, never outright denying it. However, in the past two decades, Jewish advocates have openly supported this controversial plan in writings and electronic media. In January of this year, an interview with Israeli author Avi Lipkin, which went viral globally, further brought the “Greater Israel” project into the spotlight. Lipkin expressed his vision, stating, “Across the Euphrates are the Kurds, our friends. Behind us is the Mediterranean Sea, and in front of us are the Kurds… Lebanon needs Israel’s protection, and I am certain we will also take over Mecca, Medina, and Mount Sinai to cleanse them.” He further predicted, “A day will come when our borders stretch from Lebanon to the vast deserts of Saudi Arabia and from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates River in Iraq.”

The idea of Greater Israel gained more attention when, during ground operations in Gaza, Israeli soldiers wore badges featuring the map of “Greater Israel” on their uniforms. At the same time, right-wing Israeli ministers advocated for a “Promised Land” that includes the territories of Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and parts of Egypt. Many Jews in Israel refer to this region as “Eretz Israel” or “Land of Israel,” which encompasses a much larger geographical area than Israel’s current borders. It is important to note that the concept of Greater Israel is not a new idea. However, to understand where this concept originated and which areas are included in the “Promised Land,” we must look back several centuries.

The open war between Hamas and Israel in October of last year had not yet ended when, after Lebanon, Yemen also became a target of Israeli aggression. This followed the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during an Israeli targeted attack while he was attending the inauguration ceremony of the newly elected Iranian president. This event sparked a new wave of conflict in the region. Recently, in Lebanon, several key leaders of Hezbollah, including their prominent leader Hassan Nasrallah, were also assassinated, among them a general from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

Despite calls for a ceasefire by the United States and several Western countries in the United Nations, primarily to pacify global outrage, Israeli operations have intensified, and the talk of “Greater Israel” has grown louder. According to Theodor Herzl, the founder of Zionism, the map of the “Promised Land” or Greater Israel includes territories stretching from the Nile River in Egypt to the Euphrates River in Iraq, encompassing Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.

In 1947, the United Nations approved the division of Palestine into two separate states, one Jewish and one Arab, while designating Jerusalem as an international city. Following this decision, Israeli politician and former Prime Minister Menachem Begin declared that the partition of Palestine was illegal, stating, “Jerusalem was and will always be our capital, and the borders of Eretz Israel will be restored forever.”

In an article titled “Zionism 2.0: Themes and Proposals of Reshaping World Civilization” published in the Times of Israel, author Adrian Stein explains that the concept of Greater Israel holds different meanings for different groups. For Jews living inside and outside Israel, the term “Greater Israel” refers to extending Israel’s sovereignty up to the West Bank (Jordan River), including areas mentioned in the Bible such as Judea, Samaria, and possibly territories occupied after the 1948 war, along with Sinai, northern Israel, and the Golan Heights.

According to Taqi Nasirat, a policy analyst based in Washington with a deep understanding of the Middle East, “The idea of Greater Israel is deeply ingrained in Israeli society, and many elements of Israeli society, from the government to the military, are its advocates.”

According to Taqi Nasirat, Israelis believe that they are entitled to the lands mentioned in biblical references and historically claimed by them, which stretch “from river to sea” and even “from river to river”—that is, from the Euphrates River to the Nile River, covering all areas in between. While the original idea behind the concept of Greater Israel may be this expansive claim, today’s more pragmatic view in Israel includes the areas outside its current borders that it has long occupied, namely the West Bank, Gaza, and the Golan Heights.

However, Umar Karim, a Middle East expert at Birmingham University in the UK and an associate fellow at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, regards the concept of Greater Israel as “merely a mythical notion.” According to Jewish religious teachings, Greater Israel refers to all the ancient territories in the Middle East that were part of the Ottoman Empire, where Jews had once lived. When the Israelites left Egypt, their central base was Palestine, where they settled. The Israeli government still considers this region part of Judea, and Greater Israel also includes all the areas where Jews once resided.

Umar believes that Greater Israel is more of a fantasy that is impractical, but it holds significance in Zionist politics rather than among Jews. In practical terms, Israelis view the entire occupied Palestinian territories, including the West Bank and Gaza, as part of their country. However, if one speaks in terms of “fantasy,” Greater Israel would include the Arabian Peninsula, which is now Saudi Arabia, parts of Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt.

Regarding the “Promised Land,” Umar Karim explains that during the time of Prophet Joseph, the Jews settled in Egypt, and their rule extended from Palestine to Bilad al-Sham (modern-day Syria) and parts of the Euphrates River. Since there were no Arab states at the time, their influence reached various regions, and the idea of Greater Israel stems from the belief that “the descendants of Israel should claim all the areas where their forefathers lived.” However, this is not practically achievable today, and the current understanding of Greater Israel refers to the occupied territories, including the West Bank and Gaza.

It is also important to mention the map of Greater Israel presented by right-wing Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich in 2023, which included Jordan and caused a diplomatic dispute. During a speech in Paris, the Israeli minister displayed a map of Greater Israel that incorporated Jordan and the occupied West Bank into Israel’s territory. Jordan strongly protested, accusing Bezalel of violating the peace agreement between the two countries. The truth is that whether it’s Smotrich or Ben Gvir, the groups they represent view this idea as Israel’s legitimate future. This idea has been made a reality in the current Netanyahu government by arming illegal Israeli settlers, supporting and protecting them. These settlers have been burning Palestinian olive groves, displacing Palestinians from their homes, and forcing them to flee for their safety, while establishing new settlements in the West Bank.

After Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel, these (illegal armed Israeli settlers) have gained even more influence and power. Under the protection of the Israeli military (IDF) and Netanyahu’s ministers, they are advancing this agenda. Although they are often referred to as “non-state actors,” whatever one may call them, the truth is that they have direct support from Prime Minister Netanyahu, who, in July of this year, approved the construction of 5,300 new settlements. Certainly, every nation has extremists who dream in the same way as the far-right Zionists in Israel. After the establishment of the state of Israel, Jews found themselves with a religious state, similar to Pakistan, where the identity of the nation is based on religion.

For the first time, much like Pakistan, Jews were able to realize the idea of a religious state with the creation of Israel, where their religion forms the foundation of their nationality. From this idea arose the notion that, since we have established our religious state, we should now extend it to its traditional boundaries. In contemporary Israel, there are very few people—an extreme minority—who talk about such ideas, but they believe that practically it’s not possible, especially since Israel has diplomatic relations with neighboring countries like Jordan, which means it recognizes their borders.

However, the ground realities indicate that one cannot trust the cruel and oppressive Israeli rulers, even with the existence of diplomatic relations. Egypt and Jordan both maintain diplomatic ties with Israel, yet Israel continues its illegal occupation of their territories. Similarly, Israel has established diplomatic relations with the Gulf countries and the United Arab Emirates, and its relations with Saudi Arabia are not strained. Additionally, regarding Syria, Israel only has a dispute over the Golan Heights, and aside from that, there are no significant issues between the two nations.

Some may believe that discussions of the establishment of Greater Israel are merely fantasy, and that serious politicians and analysts in Israel do not talk about this. However, this fantasy does exist among certain factions who hold the idea of a Jewish renaissance across the world.

What would the West’s reaction be if Israel tried to implement the Greater Israel plan? So far, the West, especially the U.S., has shown a weak response to changes in ground realities and the expansion of Israeli settlements. Earlier this year, when Israel approved the establishment of settlements by some violent settlers, the Biden administration condemned the move in a very measured manner.

There has been no serious reaction from Israel’s Western allies regarding these actions. Therefore, some believe that, in a way, Israel has received a green light from Western nations to fulfill its dream of Greater Israel, and many influential Israeli leaders are working to bring this dream to fruition. However, the establishment of Greater Israel will neither be acceptable to the West nor to the Jewish communities living in Western countries.

When the state of Israel was founded in 1947, the prevailing thought was that Jews had faced oppression worldwide, and they deserved a separate country where they could live free from such persecution. Today, all Western nations and the United Nations still recognize the West Bank and Gaza as occupied territories, and this is acknowledged by both the U.S. and the UK.

Setting aside the discussion of Greater Israel, even areas like the Golan Heights, which Israel has occupied since 1967, are considered occupied territories by all Western countries and international organizations.

Omar Kareem believes that Greater Israel has no legal standing, nor does Israel have enough military capacity to turn such a plan into reality in the future. However, if Israel were to attempt such a move, it would not be possible without the political and military support of the West.

Some people in Pakistan dismiss Israel’s malicious intentions, claiming that “Greater Israel” is merely a fantasy used by various extremist groups as a political lifeline, helping them sustain their ideologies and assert their importance within society. This is similar to how some in Pakistan hold onto the concept of a global caliphate and ruling over the world.

To address this misconception, let me draw attention to some ground realities. After the defeat of Russia in Afghanistan, remember the statement made by Henry Kissinger, the former U.S. Secretary of State and architect of the “New World Order.” He stated clearly, “After defeating Russia as a global power against America, our next and greatest enemy is Islam and Muslims, and it is imperative to deal with this threat.”

This is the same Henry Kissinger whom Pakistan helped connect with China, yet in 1971, all his sympathies lay with our enemy, India. He has also been accused of causing massive bombing in Cambodia and Laos due to his policies. Kissinger played a crucial role in the overthrow of Chilean President Allende’s elected Marxist government. He supported U.S.-backed military dictatorships in Africa and Latin America. He also approved Indonesia’s forced occupation of East Timor. He threatened Pakistan’s Prime Minister Bhutto with severe consequences if he did not completely abandon his nuclear program. Kissinger’s ruthless brand of pragmatic diplomacy is believed to have led to the deaths of millions of people, and his diplomatic successors later honed this approach.

In 1977, he stated that the protection of Israel is the shared responsibility of all free people. Just three months before his death, in an interview with Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv, he said, “I am a Jew. Therefore, the survival of Jews and Israel is my personal issue.”

In 2014, the World Jewish Congress recognized Henry Kissinger’s extraordinary abilities and awarded him the Theodor Herzl Award, named after the founder of the Zionist ideology. On this occasion, Israeli President Isaac Herzog praised Kissinger for his sympathy and love for Israel.

According to Theodor Herzl, the founder of Zionism, the Promised Land for Jews includes areas beyond Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan, encompassing parts of Iran and Turkey as well. In 1947, the United Nations divided Palestine into a Jewish and an Arab state, declaring Jerusalem an international city. However, former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin claimed that this division of Palestine was illegal, asserting that Jerusalem belonged to the Jews and would remain so forever. The idea of Greater Israel has been fostered in Israel through generations. Jewish Israelis are made to believe that all the lands mentioned in the holy books rightfully belong to them and will one day be part of Greater Israel.

Despite all these facts, if Muslim leaders continue to turn a blind eye to these realities in order to preserve their power, they should remember that shutting one’s eyes, like a pigeon, will not save them from the predator.