Iraq slams Netanyahu’s ‘Greater Israel’ remarks as regional threat

Shafaq News – Baghdad

On Thursday, Iraq’s Foreign Ministry condemned recent remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsing the concept of a “Greater Israel,” calling the statements a dangerous provocation.

Netanyahu’s comments, made in an interview with Israeli broadcaster i24, described his attachment to the “Greater Israel” vision as a “historic and spiritual mission” tied to Jewish heritage and destiny. The concept, often associated with far-right Israeli ideology, implies territorial expansion beyond Israel’s current borders—potentially including the occupied West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and, in some interpretations, parts of Jordan and Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry said the remarks “reveal expansionist ambitions” and represent a “blatant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.” It urged a firm Arab and international response, warning that such rhetoric threatens regional peace and sovereignty.

“These statements are a continuation of the occupying power’s behavior in undermining state sovereignty and violating the inalienable rights of peoples,” the ministry said, stressing the importance of international legal norms and collective conscience as deterrents to such destabilizing policies.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan have also publicly denounced Netanyahu’s remarks.