Israeli minister’s ‘Greater Israel’ remarks spark controversy
ANKARA (AA) – Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has sparked controversy with comments in a documentary that suggested a “Greater Israel” .
Smotrich suggested that Israel’s future borders would extend beyond the Jordan River. “Little by little,” he responded when asked about possible expansion in the “In Israel: Ministers of Chaos” documentary.
The minister also claimed that Jerusalem would eventually extend to Damascus in Syria, in line with the “Greater Israel” ideology based on religious interpretations of a “promised land.”
The remarks follow previous controversial statements made by Smotrich, who denied the existence of a Palestinian people and said any Palestinian city should be “wiped off the face of the earth.”
Smotrich’s statements have led to diplomatic isolation, with recent visits to the US and France marked with his absence at official meetings.
In Paris, Smotrich’s use of a map of Israel that included Jordan further inflamed the debate.
The event was moved because of public outcry, which Smotrich interpreted as “hatred of Israel.”
The “Greater Israel” concept, rooted in controversial Jewish religious texts, envisions Israeli expansion into parts of Palestine, Syria and Jordan, though exact borders remain undefined.
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