Three flashpoints — a ministerial annexation call, a U.S. ambassador’s candid interview, and unauthorized military patches — are forcing a decades-old expansionist vision into mainstream debate.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on March 23, 2026 for Israel to annex southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, roughly 30 kilometers north of the Israeli border — the most explicit territorial demand made by a sitting senior Israeli official to date. The remarks came as Israeli forces were already operating throughout southern Lebanon, having destroyed multiple bridges over the Litani, ordered mass evacuations of the civilian population, and retained military positions inside Lebanese territory despite a November 2024 ceasefire. Lebanese health authorities report over 1,000 killed and 1.2 million displaced since early March.
The annexation call follows a January 2026 diplomatic firestorm triggered by U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, who told podcaster Tucker Carlson that it would be “fine” if Israel took over the entire Middle East — a remark referencing the biblical Greater Israel concept, which envisions Israeli territory stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates. Fourteen nations and three major Arab blocs issued a joint condemnation, calling the remarks dangerous and inflammatory. Smotrich’s public response was to post “I love Huckabee” on social media.
The ideology has also surfaced within Israel’s military. In June 2024, photographs went viral showing IDF soldiers in Gaza wearing unauthorized sleeve patches depicting a Greater Israel map covering Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and parts of Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The IDF banned the patches in April 2025 and senior officers were filmed personally removing them from soldiers’ uniforms — yet as recently as February 2026, the patches were still reportedly circulating in the ranks.
Critics note that the concept of Greater Israel — rooted in Genesis 15:18 and formalized as a political movement after Israel’s 1967 territorial gains — was once confined to the ideological fringe. With cabinet ministers openly calling for new borders and a U.S. ambassador lending it tacit endorsement, that fringe is looking increasingly like a direction.
Below: TRT World on X: “An image of an Israeli soldier’s uniform with a patch of the map of ‘Greater Israel’ has been circulating online. Far-right Israelis also openly express their territorial desires. Here the long-term ambitions of the supporters of ‘Greater Israel’ are explained https://t.co/sNNs4ypVh3” / X
Independently researched and written. All URLs verified as of March 24, 2026.
SOURCES & FURTHER READING
Lebanon Annexation Call
GV Wire / Reuters: Israeli minister calls for annexation of southern Lebanon (March 23, 2026)
Al Jazeera: Smotrich urges Israel to annex southern Lebanon as assault intensifies (March 23, 2026)
Times of Israel: Smotrich calls for annexation of southern Lebanon (March 23, 2026)
Huckabee / Tucker Carlson Interview
The Hill: US ambassador causes uproar by claiming Israel has a right to much of the Middle East
NBC News: Outcry after Huckabee suggests Israel has God-given right to Middle East land
CBS News: Arab and Muslim countries object to Huckabee’s Israel-Middle East comments
Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Carlson-Huckabee interview sparks antisemitism clash and diplomatic backlash
IDF Uniform Patches
Middle East Monitor: IDF soldier wears ‘Greater Israel’ badge, sparking angry reaction (June 19, 2024)
The New Arab: Israeli army bans radical ‘Messiah’ patch from uniforms (October 2024)
IBTimes UK: ‘Greater Israel’ on Uniform: Map Covers Syria, Iraq, Jordan (March 2026)
Greater Israel — History, Analysis, Key Figures
Al Jazeera: What is Greater Israel, and how popular is it among Israelis? (February 26, 2026)
MEPEI: Greater Israel: An Ongoing Expansion Plan for the Middle East and North Africa
Mondoweiss: Inside ‘Greater Israel’: myths and truths behind the long-time Zionist fantasy (December 2024)
Fair Observer: The ‘Greater Israel’ Plan Has a Colossal Reach (December 2024)
TRT World: Is Israeli invasion of Lebanon stemming from the dream of Greater Israel? (October 2024)
Middle East Eye: Daniella Weiss: Israel’s settler godmother on Greater Israel borders
CNN: The grandmother who wants to lead Israelis back to a Gaza without Palestinians (March 2024)
Foundation for Middle East Peace: Settlement & Annexation Report, November 2024
Wikipedia: Greater Israel — historical and political overview
This article is independently researched and written. It does not represent the editorial position of any publication. All source URLs verified as of March 24, 2026.
