Demonstrators supporting Palestinians turned out in force across cities like Sydney, where clashes prompted police to use non-lethal force including tear gas. Several protesters were detained as authorities maintained order during the high-profile visit.

This trip came in the wake of a deadly December attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, where terrorists gunned down 15 innocent attendees. Herzog’s presence was a gesture of unity and support for the traumatized Jewish community.

Quoting from his office’s statement, the president expressed bewilderment: ‘It’s baffling that the leader of the sole Jewish nation faces such hurdles just to be welcomed here. Proud Jewish assemblies should be a natural right, not a fortified event.’

Turning to the crowds outside, he challenged them: ‘Protest at the Iranian embassy instead—they’ve slaughtered their own and waged propaganda wars against us.’ Herzog boosted morale among Australian Jews, advising them to embrace their identity boldly: ‘Keep your Jewish hearts on your sleeves and flaunt your Zionism with pride.’

He noted constructive dialogues with Aussie officials, calling them committed allies against ‘cheap statements, fake news, and Jew-haters.’ Herzog’s tour, though disrupted, reinforced bonds and highlighted global antisemitism’s reach.

Greater Israel is a term whose meaning and political implications are also derived according to the Bible. Especially for the Middle East, it is called a Zionist plan. According to Theodor Herzl, the founding father of Zionism, the concept of “Greater Israel” is a Jewish state extending from Egypt to the Euphrates River. The concept of Greater Israel was first mentioned after the Six-Day War in June 1967, and it has been mentioned several times since then.

How will Greater Israel be?

Greater Israel is a Bible-based term, and its borders are mentioned in it. In Joshua chapters 13 to 22, it is stated that the Israelites were allotted land from the far south of Jerusalem to the north of the Sea of Galilee, in which the promised land “from the Nile to the Euphrates” was mentioned. That is, “from Dan to Beersheba”, the area of this traditional holy land is only 50 miles wide and 150 miles long. The phrase “from Dan to Beersheba” defines the boundaries of Israel. According to this, according to the talk of the Nile to the Euphrates i.e. the Euphrates river –

* The western part of Iraq will come into Israel in the east.
* Some part of Egypt will become part of Israel in the west.
* Lebanon and Syria will be included in it in the north.
* Some northern areas of Saudi Arabia will also be in it in the south.

How big will Greater Israel become?

The current area of Israel is approximately 22 thousand km. If the envisioned boundary of Greater Israel comes true, then the boundary of Israel will be from the Nile to the Euphrates. This estimated area is approximately 1 lakh square km. This will include parts of other countries including Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, and Iraq.

The issue of Greater Israel echoed in Cairo as well

The issue of Greater Israel was also raised during an Arab summit in Cairo in 1990. At that time, the then Libyan President Muammar al-Gaddafi showed some pieces of paper to the leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Yasser Arafat, on which was a map of Greater Israel. This map included Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and large parts of Syria, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Earlier, this same map was displayed at the AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) conference a year ago.