CAIRO: Arab nations have slammed comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apparently expressing support for the idea of an expanded “Greater Israel”, calling the remarks a threat to their sovereignty at an especially tense time for the region.
The term Greater Israel refers to a biblical interpretation of the nation’s territory during the time of King Solomon, encompassing not only the present-day Palestinian territories of Gaza and the occupied West Bank, but also parts of modern Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Ultra-nationalist Israelis have called for these territories to be occupied.
Asked on Tuesday by i24NEWS interviewer Sharon Gal if he subscribed to such a “vision” for a Greater Israel, Netanyahu said “absolutely”, adding, “If you ask me what I think, we’re there.”
He then pivoted to a comment about the founding of Israel and the “great mission” of ensuring its continued existence.
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Israel’s neighbour Jordan on Wednesday condemned the prime minister’s Greater Israel remarks as a “dangerous and provocative escalation” and “a threat to the sovereignty of states”.
A spokesman for its foreign ministry went on to reject what he called Netanyahu’s “inflammatory” rhetoric and “delusional claims”.
Egypt also said on Wednesday that it had “requested clarification on this matter”, characterising it as tantamount to a “rejection of the option of peace in the region”.
Netanyahu’s remarks come in the midst of a 22-month war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip that has repeatedly spilled over into the wider Middle East and provoked frequent condemnation of Israel from across the Arab world.
On Thursday, Iraq’s foreign ministry condemned the comments, saying they revealed Israel’s “expansionist ambitions” and were “a clear provocation to the sovereignty of countries”.
Gaza mediator Qatar also decried Netanyahu’s statements calling them “absurd” and “inflammatory”.
The allusion to an expanded Israel also comes as far-right members of Netanyahu’s cabinet demand the conquest of Gaza and annexation of the West Bank, where the government recently approved a rash of new settlements considered illegal under international law.
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday voiced “its total rejection of the ideas and plans for colonisation and expansion adopted by the Israeli occupation authorities”, reiterating “the historical and legal right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state”.
In February, Netanyahu in a television interview provoked an outcry from Arab countries after he suggested a Palestinian state could be established on Saudi land.
In Tuesday’s sit-down, the premier also revived calls to “allow” Palestinians to leave Gaza, telling Israeli broadcaster i24NEWS that “we are not pushing them out, but we are allowing them to leave”.
Past calls to resettle Gazans outside of the war-battered territory, including from US President Donald Trump, have sparked fears of displacement among Palestinians and condemnation from the international community.
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