Arab, Islamic states condemn Netanyahu's 'Greater Israel' scheme
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Foreign ministers from 31 Arab and Islamic states condemned Netanyahu's "Greater Israel" vision and the E1 settlement plan as blatant violations of international law and threats to regional security.
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Arab leaders attend the 34th Arab League summit, in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, May 17, 2025 (Thaier Al-Sudani/Pool via AP)
Foreign ministers from 31 Arab and Islamic countries, joined by the secretaries-general of the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), have issued a joint statement condemning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's so-called "Greater Israel" vision. They described the remarks as a grave affront to international law and a direct threat to Arab national security, the sovereignty of states, and both regional and international stability.
The condemnation follows Netanyahu's televised interview with Israeli channel i24, in which he boasted of being on a "historic and spiritual mission" to realize the "Greater Israel" project, a colonial blueprint that, by his own admission, encompasses not only the occupied Palestinian territories but also parts of Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt. Netanyahu claimed the plan represents the "continuation of the dream" of previous generations of Zionists.
Illegal Settlements and Statehood Rejection
The ministers also denounced Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich's recent approval of an illegal settlement expansion in the sensitive "E1" area and his categorical rejection of a future Palestinian state. Such actions, they stressed, are a blatant violation of international law and an assault on the Palestinian people's right to establish an independent, sovereign state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with occupied Al-Quds as its capital.
The statement reaffirmed that these measures breach binding UN Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2334, and run counter to the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion, which underscored the illegality of the occupation and the urgent need for its complete and unconditional end.
Read more: Smotrich approves settlement plans to 'bury the Palestinian state'
Dangers of Annexation
Arab and Islamic states warned of the escalating dangers posed by Israeli policies aimed at de-facto annexation of Palestinian land, including systematic settler violence, repeated incursions into Islamic and Christian holy sites, daily military raids, and the forced displacement of Palestinian families. They stressed that such practices deepen the conflict, extinguish any remaining prospects for a just and comprehensive peace, and threaten security well beyond the region.
Regional Rejection
Individual Arab states also voiced strong opposition. Saudi Arabia condemned Netanyahu's remarks as expansionist and destabilizing. Qatar described them as an extension of the occupation's "arrogance and blatant infringement" on sovereignty and international law. Jordan called the comments a "serious provocative escalation," while Egypt said they reveal a rejection of peace and an insistence on confrontation.
