What is Greater Israel?

What is Greater Israel?

From History As It Happens by Martin Di Caro

April 21, 2026 · 50 min

About this episode

The episode explores the concept of Greater Israel and the forces driving its political and religious motivations.

Subscribe now for early access, ad-free listening, and bonus content! HAIH Premium subscribers got this episode (with no ads!) on Monday, April 20. With Gaza destroyed and Jewish settlers rampaging the West Bank, and with the IDF occupying parts of southern Lebanon and Syria, talk of achieving "Greater Israel" is now commonplace among influential political and media figures in Israel, as well as the settlers who have their eyes set on annexing Palestinian territory. What does this Old Testament idea mean? And what current forces — religious, nationalist, and others — are driving it? Political scientist Ian Lustick is our guest. Ian Lustick is a professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania and an expert on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He's the author of many books, including For the Land and the Lord: Jewish Fundamentalism in Israel . His next book, Israel's Lobby: America in the Grip of a Foreign Power , will be released in August, co-authored with Eli Clifton. Further listening: What is Zionism? w/ Ian Lustick

People in this episode

Host: Martin Di Caro

Guest: Ian Lustick

Topics covered

  • Greater Israel
  • Israeli-Palestinian conflict
  • nationalism
  • religion
  • politics

Keywords

  • Greater Israel
  • Israeli-Palestinian conflict
  • Ian Lustick
  • Jewish settlers
  • annexation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Pennsylvania

Books & works: For the Land and the Lord: Jewish Fundamentalism in Israel, Israel's Lobby: America in the Grip of a Foreign Power

Places: Israel, Gaza, West Bank, southern Lebanon, Syria

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