End 'Greater Israel' ideology for lasting Middle East peace, experts say

On June 14, the United States and Iran reached a framework agreement to end the war. Under the deal, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen, bombings in Lebanon would cease, and, most importantly, the killing would stop. After more than 100 days of conflict that killed thousands, including many senior Iranian leaders, and pushed the global economy to the brink, a fragile ceasefire emerged as a first ray of light.

The deep cause of this war, along with a series of previous conflicts, is said to be the 'Greater Israel' doctrine — not the current state of Israel but an idea of territorial expansion. The 'Greater Israel' ideology is considered the root of wars in Iraq, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran.

This doctrine holds that Israel must control all of historical Palestine, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, and expand into neighboring countries. According to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, an orthodox Protestant, 'Greater Israel' stretches from the Nile to the Euphrates. Last August, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared he was 'very' committed to this vision, including Palestinian territories and lands of neighboring Arab nations.

This dangerous doctrine has two origins. First, hardline secularists like Netanyahu argue that Israel must control the entire land from the river to the sea to be secure, disregarding the 8 million Palestinians living there. Second, the supremacist Jewish faith of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who believe God granted this land exclusively to the Jewish people.

Analysts say 'Greater Israel' is a mix of paranoia, megalomania, and religious fanaticism. This doctrine has dominated Israeli foreign and military policy for three decades, sustained by support from two U.S. voter groups: Zionist Jews and Protestants who believe in apocalyptic prophecy.

The war with Iran is the latest 'Greater Israel' delusion. The plan to topple a government of 90 million people in a single day failed. Israeli and U.S. bombs killed Iranian leaders on February 28, but did not bring the expected collapse, leading to thousands of deaths, the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, and a global oil shock.

U.S. President Donald Trump was hurt by his involvement in the 'Greater Israel' delusion. The new deal with Iran is seen as his escape, a way out of a senseless war. However, pro-'Greater Israel' politicians are trying to strangle the deal from the start, because peace with Iran means the defeat of 'Greater Israel.' Even after the agreement was signed, Israel continued bombing Lebanon, killing 47 people on a Friday and 32 on Saturday, just hours after the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire took effect.

The deeper truth is that 'Greater Israel' is not saving Israel but destroying it. The clash between Trump and Netanyahu is just the surface. Below lies Israel's crumbling global standing. According to a recent Pew survey, public opinion in 36 countries is extremely negative toward Israel. In the U.S., 6 out of 10 adults hold unfavorable views of Israel.

The path to peace in West Asia is to end 'Greater Israel.' This means ending the war with Iran, stopping the genocide in Gaza, and ending the suffocation of the West Bank. Most importantly, it requires doing what this doctrine forbids: establishing a Palestinian state as the 194th member of the United Nations, alongside the State of Israel along the 1967 borders, with genuine security for both nations and a regional framework that guarantees stability.

The ceasefire agreement with Iran is a testament: it was achieved not on the battlefield but through mediation. It became possible when Washington decided it wanted peace more than it wanted 'Greater Israel's' war.

Israel can survive, but not as 'Greater Israel' — a disastrous idea that has led the country and the U.S. from one war to another.