Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told i24 News that he acknowledges he is on a “historic and spiritual mission” and expressed strong attachment to the vision of a Greater Israel, a concept that includes a Palestinian state, and even parts of present-day Jordan and Egypt.
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According to a report by Time of Israel, during the interview, host Sharon Gal, who previously served briefly as a right-wing member of the Knesset, presented Netanyahu with an amulet featuring what he described as a “map of the Promised Land.”
When asked if he feels a connection to the vision of a Greater Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded, “Very much.”
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Greater Israel
The term Greater Israel gained prominence after the Six-Day War in June 1967, when Israel captured East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights. It was used to describe Israel along with these newly occupied territories.
Historically, the phrase also traces back to early Zionist thought, including figures like Ze’ev Jabotinsky, an ideological forebear of Prime Minister Netanyahu and his Likud party.
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In that context, Greater Israel referred to a broader territory encompassing present-day Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, and Jordan, reflecting a more expansive nationalist vision that continues to influence parts of Israeli political discourse today.
Israel-Gaza war
Israel’s offensive has killed at least 61,430 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, figures the United Nations deems reliable.
Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the war, resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Forty-nine of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas are still held in Gaza, including 27, the Israeli military says, who are dead.
United Nations agencies have warned that famine was unfolding in Gaza, with Israel severely restricting the entry of aid. Images of sick and emaciated Palestinian children have drawn international outrage.
The allegation has been denied by Israel. “There is no starvation in Gaza,” Netanyahu said last month.
On Tuesday, Gaza’s health ministry said that 89 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli fire in the past 24 hours, Reuters reported.
(With inputs from agencies)