Netanyahu Says He Backs ‘Greater Israel’ – Drawing Outrage From Arab States

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has unleashed fresh controversy and anger among Arab countries and leaders by suggesting a huge land expanse of Israel’s borders in an interview he gave to i24 News.

In the newly published interview he said he is on a “historic and spiritual mission” and expressed strong attachment to the vision of a Greater Israel, which is a longtime reference to Israel encompasing parts of Jordan, Egypt and Syria – along with the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

It comes on the heels of some hardline Israeli officials and settler groups loudly proclaiming that soon Israeli forces will be in Damascus. This is all based on Biblical concepts of what God is said to have promised the Jews thousands of years ago.

The interviewer had presented Netanyahu with an amulet featuring what he described as a “map of the Promised Land” – with the image symbolically depicting the greatly expanded vision of Israel’s future.

Netanyahu when asked if he feels a connection with this concept of a Greater Israel, responded “Very much”. The interviewer himself is known to back radical settler ideologies which seek to take land by force from neighboring Arab communities.

Among the first regional governments to condemn the remarks has been Jordan.

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry highlighed the ‘Greater Israel’ remarks, commenting that it constitutes “a dangerous and provocative escalation, a threat to the sovereignty of states, and a violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.”

The ministry further emphasized “the need for the international community to act immediately to stop all provocative Israeli actions and statements that threaten the region’s stability and international peace and security.”

Netanyahu claims he is on a ‘historical and spiritual mission’ to realize ‘Greater Israel’ pic.twitter.com/T2z3L1mnQd

— HatsOff (@HatsOffff) August 12, 2025

Some war monitors fear that the Netanyahu government is in effect already trying to enact this – given that from the start of post-Assad Syria (last December), Israel’s military quickly expanded the Golan occupation far beyond, into southern Syria.

This is to the point where currently there are reports saying IDF ground forces are a mere dozen kilometers from the outskirts of the capital Damascus.