Netanyahu: I am on a historical and spiritual mission
and I am deeply connected to the vision of "Greater Israel."
The Times of Israel reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in an interview with i24 that he feels he is on a "historical and spiritual mission," stressing that he is "strongly connected to the vision of Greater Israel
an old and controversial vision whose roots go back decades and is based onpolitical and religious perceptions in some Israeli circles.
The idea of "Greater Israel"
- ccording to Israeli claims
- includes large areas extending to include
- the entire occupied Palestinian territories
in addition to parts of Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt.
This vision is not a new idea, but it gained momentum particularly after the Six-Day War in June 1967, when Israel expanded its control over vast areas of territory, including East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights.
According to the Hebrew website
- the phrase "Greater Israel" was used after that war to describe Israel in an
- expanded geographical sense, which combines the lands occupied during
- the war with the lands that were under Israeli control before it.
This term has sparked
- and continues to spark controversy on the international scene
- as it is considered by Palestinians, Arabs and others to be a symbol of
- expansion and rejection of the establishment of an independent Palestinian state
while some Israeli nationalists see it as the fulfillment of a "historic promise".
When Netanyahu was asked during
the interview whether he felt he was working "on behalf of the Jewish people"
at this stage, he replied that he considered himself on a "generational mission"
explaining
- that what he was doing was not just a political act
- or an ordinary period of rule, but a long-term historical path.
- "So if you're asking me if I have a sense of mission historically and spiritually
the answer is yes
he added
- noting that this sense
- drives him to make decisions
- he considers crucial to Israel's future.
The newspaper also explained that the concept of
"Greater Israel"
- was not limited to contemporary politics, but was also mentioned
- and used by some prominent Israeli figures at the beginning of
- the establishment of the State of Israel
as it referred at the time to present
day Israel in addition to Gaza, the West Bank, and Jordan. Over time, this concept became more closely associated with right-wing and religious political movements that viewed expanding state borders as both an ideological and a security issue.
These statements
come under extremely complex regional circumstances
as the Palestinian
- Israeli conflict is witnessing escalating tension
- with military operations continuing in the West Bank and Gaza
- and controversy escalating in the international community over settlements
and land annexation.
Observers believe that Netanyahu's public adoption of this speech may reflect an attempt to consolidate his support among right-wing and religious bases inside Israel, but at the same time it raises more concern among Israel's neighbors and the international community about the prospects for peace in the region.
Political analyses suggest that
Netanyahu's statements
which blend historical and religious dimensions, may be part of a broader strategy aimed at reshaping Israel's national identity along expansionist lines, deepening internal divisions and increasing external tensions. While his supporters see him as a leader with a "historic message," his opponents see him as someone pushing the region toward a broader conflict that may be difficult to contain.