Israeli minister sparks controversy with ‘Greater Israel’ comments

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has ignited controversy with recent remarks suggesting an expanded “Greater Israel,” proposing future Israeli borders extending beyond the Jordan River.

In the documentary In Israel: Ministers of Chaos, Smotrich responded “little by little” when asked about potential expansion. He further claimed that Jerusalem would eventually stretch to Damascus, Syria, aligning with the “Greater Israel” ideology rooted in religious interpretations of a “promised land.”

The far-right minister has previously stirred diplomatic tensions with controversial statements, including denying the existence of a Palestinian people and calling for a Palestinian city to be “wiped off the face of the earth.”

Smotrich’s remarks have led to increasing diplomatic isolation. During recent visits to the United States and France, he was notably absent from official meetings.

His use of a map of Israel that included Jordan during a Paris event further fueled the controversy, with public outcry prompting the event’s relocation. Smotrich dismissed the backlash, interpreting it as evidence that “hatred of Israel is everywhere.”

The “Greater Israel” concept, derived from religious texts, envisions Israeli expansion into parts of Palestine, Syria, and Jordan, though exact borders remain undefined.