Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is on a "historic and spiritual mission" and feels "very" attached to the vision of so-called ‘Greater Israel’, which includes territories earmarked for the Palestinian state and potentially parts of present-day Jordan and Egypt.
In an interview with Israeli broadcaster i24NEWS on Tuesday, conducted as his government prepares to expand its carnage into the remaining parts of Gaza, Netanyahu described his mission as one "of generations," saying: "There are generations of Jews that dreamt of coming here and generations of Jews who will come after us."
The term ‘Greater Israel’ [Eretz Yisrael HaShlema] has been used since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War to describe Israel and territories it occupied — East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, and Syria’s Golan Heights.
Early Zionists such as Ze’ev Jabotinsky, ideological forerunner of Netanyahu’s Likud party, also applied it to present-day Jordan.
During the interview, former Knesset member Sharon Gal presented Netanyahu with an amulet showing ‘Greater Israel.’
Asked if he felt connected to the vision, Netanyahu responded: "Very much."
The ‘Greater Israel’ concept is a core tenet of Likud’s political tradition, rooted in Revisionist Zionism.
Netanyahu has repeatedly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, and critics say his government’s illegal settlement expansion embodies this vision, creating "facts on the ground" that make a viable Palestinian state impossible.
Some analysts view the ongoing genocide in Gaza as an accelerated attempt to implement this plan, with the government’s approach described by critics as seeking "maximum land, minimum Arabs."
Forced Palestinian exodus
Netanyahu also said on Tuesday that Israel would let Palestinians leave besieged Gaza as the military prepares a broader carnage.
"Give them the opportunity to leave, first of all, to leave combat zones and generally to leave the territory, if they want," he said in a televised interview.
"We will allow this, first of all, within Gaza during the fighting, and we will certainly allow them to leave Gaza as well."
His comments come as Gaza’s Health Ministry says nearly 61,600 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since October 2023.
Israel faces ongoing international condemnation, including an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes, and a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
