ISLAMABAD: Arab Gulf countries and Muslim nations, including Pakistan, have condemned statements about a “Greater Israel” that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reported to have made in the wake of pronouncements by his far-right allies to annex Palestinian territories.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced plans to expand settlement building in the occupied West Bank to “bury the idea of a Palestinian state.” Netanyahu said in a recent interview he felt “very much” connected to the vision of “Greater Israel,” describing it as a “historic and spiritual mission.”
The comments have triggered widespread outrage across the Arab and Muslim world in recent days and have been denounced by several nations, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Pakistan, as well as the Palestinian Authority.
Pakistan’s foreign office said the remarks showed Israel’s intent to cement its occupation and disregard peace efforts, urging the international community to act swiftly to halt further regional destabilization and end crimes against Palestinians.
“Pakistan strongly condemns and rejects recent statements made by the Israeli Occupying power, alluding to the creation of so-called ‘Greater Israel,’ and its designs aimed at the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza,” the foreign office said in a statement.
