Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aaty strongly condemned statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which he referenced a vision of a so-called “Greater Israel.” Speaking during an extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah on Monday, Abdel Aaty described the remarks as “dangerous illusions” that Egypt categorically rejects.
The backlash comes days after Netanyahu, in an interview with an Israeli television network, said he viewed himself as being on a “historic and spiritual mission,” and expressed a deep connection to the idea of “Greater Israel.” The comments were widely interpreted as signaling ambitions to expand Israeli control over territories in neighboring Arab countries, including Egypt and Jordan.
“Egypt completely and unequivocally rejects the recent Israeli statements about the delusions of what is called ‘Greater Israel,’” Abdel Aaty stated. “They reflect nothing but an arrogance of power, and Egypt will neither accept them nor allow them to be realized.”
Abdel Aaty warned that such rhetoric would only fuel further instability in the region, undermine any remaining prospects for peaceful coexistence, and expand the scope of conflict. “These ideas,” he said, “will only inflame tensions and obliterate any horizon for a peaceful future among the peoples of the region.”
The Egyptian foreign minister also used his speech to renew condemnation of what he described as Israel’s ongoing war crimes in Gaza. He accused the Israeli government of committing acts of genocide against civilians, obstructing the work of international humanitarian organizations, and deliberately undermining mediation efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire.
“These are not just military operations,” Abdel Aaty said. “What is happening in Gaza constitutes collective punishment and forced displacement of an unarmed population.”
He also called on the international community to increase pressure on Israel to accept the most recent ceasefire proposal, based on the framework advanced by U.S. envoy Steve Wietcov. “There is a clear proposal on the table,” he said. “It is time for serious international pressure to bring Israel to agree to it.”
Reaffirming Egypt’s long-standing position, Abdel Aaty emphasized that Cairo remains firmly opposed to any attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause. He also reiterated Egypt’s rejection of the ongoing expansion of Israeli military operations in Gaza, calling for immediate de-escalation and the resumption of serious diplomatic efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace based on international law and the rights of the Palestinian people.
