Silence on the “Greater Israel” Plan: A Dangerous Precedent

Kokcha News Agency – Since the establishment of Israel, one of the core tenets of Zionist ideology has been the vision of a “Greater Israel” stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates. This vision has been a primary reason for Arab and Muslim opposition to Israel’s creation. Over the decades, the U.S. and some Western nations convinced Arab countries that this vision was merely an ideological fantasy and that Israel only sought a small Jewish state in the Middle East, with no territorial ambitions beyond its borders.

Using this reasoning, countries like Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, and others signed peace treaties with Israel, pressuring Palestinians to relinquish their rights and accept the “land for peace” formula, culminating in the Oslo Accords.

However, after the Oslo Accords and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) abandoning armed struggle, Israel repeatedly reneged on its commitments, creating conditions for ongoing conflicts with Palestinians. Today, we see the devastating consequences in Gaza. Many analysts even believe that the events of October 7 were orchestrated by Israeli security agencies to justify their brutal assault on Gaza and the massacre of Palestinians.

Meanwhile, Arab and Islamic countries have remained silent, turning into passive observers of the atrocities unfolding in Gaza.

Western Outrage vs. Arab Silence
The situation has reached a point where outrage over the Gaza crisis is more pronounced in Western countries than in the Arab world. Christians and Jews in Western nations are protesting against the atrocities in Gaza, while in Islamic and Arab countries, apathy and silence prevail.

In this context, Netanyahu appeared on a television program and openly declared that his goal is to establish a “Greater Israel” from the Nile to the Euphrates. He even displayed a map based on David Ben-Gurion’s vision, which includes parts of Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain.

According to Zionist ideology, any land where Jews once lived is considered part of Israel. This means that, in the first phase, Israel might aim for the territory outlined in Ben-Gurion’s map, but eventually, it could expand south to Yemen, east to parts of western Iran (including Isfahan), north to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and even Ukraine, and west to Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan, and Libya.

Even regions like Morocco, the Jewish Autonomous Oblast (with its capital in Birobidzhan), and Shanghai, China, could be included in this expansionist vision.

Arab Silence Encourages Israeli Ambitions
Even if we assume Netanyahu’s goal is limited to Ben-Gurion’s map, the silence of Arab and Islamic countries is alarming. In Lebanon, efforts are underway to disarm Hezbollah, paving the way for Israeli occupation. In Syria, despite the fall of Bashar al-Assad and the new government’s willingness to make peace with Israel, Israeli forces have destroyed Syria’s military capabilities, setting the stage for its occupation.

Arab countries, which once protested Iran’s involvement in Arab affairs, claiming they should be responsible for their own security, are now mere spectators. Turkey, half of whose eastern territory is included in the “Greater Israel” plan, has also failed to respond adequately.

This silence effectively encourages Israel to push forward with its expansionist plans. If these countries had spoken up against the atrocities in Gaza, they wouldn’t now be facing the prospect of losing their own territories.