Israelis divided on concept of Greater Israel, a contentious national identity issue

US and Israeli Officials Spark Regional Concerns Over Sovereignty and Territorial Expansion

Recent comments by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid have sparked concerns across the region regarding sovereignty and territorial expansion. An interview with American right-wing podcaster Tucker Carlson featured Huckabee, who stated that he supports Israel controlling all land between the Nile River in Egypt and the Euphrates River in Iraq.

Huckabee’s comments were met with anger from countries in the region, including those close to the US. Lapid also expressed support for a large, broad, strong land for the Jewish people, stating that Zionism is based on the Bible and that biblical borders are clear.

The concept of “Greater Israel” is rooted in a biblical verse (Genesis 15:18-21), which promises Abraham’s descendants the land between the Nile and Euphrates. However, other definitions based on different biblical verses specify narrower territorial scopes.

Israel emerged from the British Mandate for Palestine in 1948, with its current state geographically limited by the mandate. The 1948 war led to Israel taking control of all of Mandatory Palestine, except for the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Since then, Israel has expanded its territory through force, occupying parts of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, Syria’s occupied Golan Heights, and Lebanon.

The Israeli government continues to move towards de facto annexation of the occupied West Bank, with most mainstream politicians supporting the expansion of settlements in the territory. The annexation of East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights is also widely supported by Israeli Jews.

Regional concerns over sovereignty and territorial expansion are fueled by the fact that Israel has ignored international law and shown little respect for its neighbors’ sovereignty. The situation highlights the need to distinguish between the expansion of Israel into its immediate surroundings and the most extreme definition of Greater Israel, which encompasses a broader territory.

Source: Al Jazeera