Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised interview on 12 August that he feels he is on a “historic and spiritual mission” and is deeply committed to the vision of a “Greater Israel” that would encompass the occupied Palestinian territories as well as parts of Jordan and Egypt. The remark is one of Netanyahu’s clearest public endorsements of an expansionist doctrine long rejected by Arab neighbours and much of the international community. Egypt swiftly summoned Israeli officials for clarification and described the statement as destabilising, while Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and other Arab states issued separate condemnations. Their foreign ministries said the comments contradict peace efforts and threaten regional sovereignty. Two days later, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a leading figure in Israel’s far-right coalition, approved the long-stalled E1 settlement scheme, authorising 3,401 housing units between the Ma’ale Adumim bloc and Jerusalem. Speaking at the site, Smotrich said the construction would “bury the idea of a Palestinian state” and asserted that both Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump support the initiative. Palestinian officials, human-rights groups and the United Nations warned the project would sever East Jerusalem from the West Bank, fragment Palestinian territory and violate international law. UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric urged Israel to reverse the decision, and the European Union and the United Kingdom said the plan undermines any future two-state solution. A U.S. State Department spokesperson, while declining to address the E1 details, said that maintaining a stable West Bank aligns with Washington’s regional peace objectives. The combination of Netanyahu’s expansionist rhetoric and Smotrich’s settlement push signals the governing coalition’s intent to solidify Israeli control over occupied land, deepening diplomatic friction with Arab partners and Western allies.