Israeli opposition leader Lapid endorses 'Greater Israel' vision, citing Torah as 'deed to the land'
2026-02-25 - 08:32
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has inflamed regional tensions by openly endorsing expansionist territorial claims based on biblical scripture, aligning himself with US Ambassador Mike Huckabee's recent remarks envisioning a "Greater Israel" stretching from the Nile River to the Euphrates. In an interview with Israeli news outlet Kipa, Lapid stated that Israel's borders should be "as wide as possible" and that "our deed to the land is the Torah." Biblical Claims and Territorial Ambitions Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid party who previously expressed support for a two-state solution, now asserts that "Zionism is based on the Torah, our authority over the land of Israel is based on the holy book, the borders of Israel in the Torah are very clear." He endorsed Huckabee's controversial vision, saying he supports "anything that will provide the Jewish people with a large, wide, strong land and a safe haven for us, our children, and our children's children." Lapid acknowledged practical considerations of "security, politics, and timing" but affirmed the ideological commitment to maximal territorial expansion. Regional Condemnation and Diplomatic Crisis The statements follow Huckabee's explosive interview with Tucker Carlson, where the US ambassador suggested it "would be good" if Israel controlled the entire region from Egypt to Iraq and dismissed international concern over Palestinian child casualties in Gaza as disproportionate. Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Indonesia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Pakistan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Palestine, and the UAE, along with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Arab League, and Gulf Cooperation Council, jointly condemned Huckabee's remarks as unacceptable provocation threatening regional stability. Lapid's endorsement extends the controversy into Israeli domestic politics, challenging the international consensus on Palestinian rights and territorial sovereignty.