Netanyahu says Greater Israel is a goal.
By Derimot*no - Dave DeCamp - August 14, 2025
The Israeli leader also believes he is on a 'historic and spiritual mission'
Directly from Netanyahu:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he considers himself to be on a “historic and spiritual mission” and that he is “very” attached to the idea of “Greater Israel” – a vision of significant Israeli territorial expansion in the region.
In modern political contexts, “Greater Israel” can refer to Israel taking full control of Gaza, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. For more ideological Zionists, including members of Netanyahu’s government, “Greater Israel” implies expansion into Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia – based on a biblical interpretation.
Netanyahu made the remarks to Israeli TV channel i24, when the interviewer gave him an amulet depicting “Greater Israel.” According to The Times of Israel, the amulet was not shown on camera, so it is unclear how far the territory depicted extends. Asked if he felt a connection to the expansionist vision, Netanyahu replied: “very much.”
A 1931 propaganda poster made by the Irgun, a Zionist terror group, shows a map labeled “Land of Israel” covering both the British Mandate of Palestine and the Emirate of Transjordan – areas the Irgun demanded in their entirety for a future Jewish state.
Netanyahu has previously shown maps that include the West Bank and Gaza as part of Israel, including when he spoke at the United Nations a few weeks before October 7. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich caused controversy in 2023 when he attended an event with a map showing “Greater Israel” including Jordan.
Smotrich, who holds significant power in the current Israeli government, said in an interview for a documentary produced by Arte (a European public broadcaster) that Israel would take territories in Arab countries “little by little,” saying: “It is written that the future of Jerusalem is to expand to Damascus.”
Netanyahu was also asked in the i24 interview if he felt he was on a mission for “the Jewish people,” and he responded that he was “on a mission for generations – there are generations of Jews who dreamed of coming here, and generations who will come after us… So if you ask if I feel a historical and spiritual calling, the answer is yes.”
The text represents the author's opinion, not necessarily that of www.derimot.no.
Dave DeCamp
