As Israel seeks to reshape the region, the settler movement senses an opportunity to make ‘Greater Israel’ a reality, eyeing land in Syria, Lebanon, and beyond
In a move that sparked international condemnation, a group of Israeli settlers crossed into Syrian territory near the village of Bariqa in Quneitra province on 18 August and attempted to establish a new settlement on Israeli military-controlled land.
The incursion, three kilometres away from Alonei Habashan, an Israeli settlement located in the eastern occupied Golan Heights, saw civilians quickly return to Israeli territory after military units were dispatched to intercept several vehicles that had crossed the border, with participants subsequently summoned for police questioning.
The incident represents the latest escalation in extremist settler activities that have surged since the Gaza war.
The group, calling itself ‘Bashan Pioneers,’ using the biblical name for the Golan region, was captured on video erecting signs for a new settlement they dubbed ‘Navi Habashan’ and celebrating what they described as a cornerstone-laying ceremony for the outpost.
Founded in April 2025, the Bashan Pioneers positions itself as part of a hardline religious-nationalist movement pursuing what it frames as “the return of Jews to their historical lands”.
This provocative action comes as the Israeli military has already strengthened its presence at nine points inside southern Syria, ostensibly for security reasons.
It also follows a similar episode in September 2024, when Israeli settlers crossed the northern border into Lebanon. At the time, the Israeli army initially denied the incursion, but later confirmed that settlers had crossed the Blue Line near the village of Maroun al-Ras by several meters before being dispersed by troops.
That group was reportedly led by the Uri Tzafon Movement, a religious Zionist organisation that has advocated settlement in southern Lebanon as part of what it claims to be the Jewish people’s historical homeland.
‘Greater Israel’
Ismat Mansour, an expert in Israeli affairs, told The New Arab that these groups are made up largely of members of the so-called Hilltop Youth, extremist settler youth from the occupied West Bank known for setting up unauthorised outposts and carrying out attacks on Palestinians.
The group embraces the idea of a ‘Greater Israel,’ or Eretz Israel, which places Judea, Samaria, and Gaza – the modern-day West Bank and Gaza – within Israel’s borders, along with parts of Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, all believed to be part of biblical Israel.
This ideology draws on religious and historical interpretations and, according to Mansour, is reinforced by institutions such as Ariel University, which he notes helps entrench these narratives by linking people to a land that is “not their own”.
The move could also be seen as a part of the broader settlement movement that enjoys support from extremist parties and factions.
“Their ideology feeds on current political circumstances,” he explains. “They see the favourable position of the Trump administration and the turmoil in Syria as creating an environment for settlement expansion. For them, this is the right moment to reaffirm their presence in areas they regard as part of their history.”
International law, however, considers building settlements “a war crime,” despite “Israeli interpretations or American positions,” Mansour warns.
Israel’s colonial policy
Hala Al-Shuaibi, an international analyst at Birzeit University, said the group’s goal is to reshape the demographic balance of the Golan and southern Lebanon by drawing Israelis to relocate there, building new settlements and advancing a religious ideology that promotes expansion.
“It’s clear that what we’re seeing resembles colonial policies aimed at reshaping the region’s demographic and geographic reality,” she said. “These policies violate international law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention.”
The convention prohibits the transfer of civilian populations to occupied territories and considers it a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The news has triggered strong condemnation from international human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which view the settlements as exacerbating tensions and undermining peace efforts.
The international consensus against Israeli settlements remains overwhelming, with United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 2334 and numerous other UN declarations affirming that Israeli settlement activity constitutes a violation of international law.
Al-Shuaibi emphasises that this broad international agreement extends beyond mere diplomatic statements to “fundamental legal principles” that classify such activities as potential war crimes.
“The future of the Golan remains uncertain without a just political solution,” she said.
“Continued settlement construction only narrows the path to peace. The international community must act to halt Israeli violations and safeguard the rights of Indigenous communities, because lasting stability depends on respect for international law and recognition of all parties’ rights.”
Imad Abu Awad, a specialist in Israeli affairs, said that there are indicators that suggest the Israeli government may be preparing to quietly back the group in its bid to establish new settlements beyond the Golan Heights.
Such support, he argued, would be “part of a broader strategy to deepen Israel’s hold over a region of longstanding strategic and political contention,” while also testing how far local and international actors are willing to tolerate new moves on the ground.
That backing could take the form of undisclosed funding streams, legal shortcuts that ease permit procedures, or even adjustments to local regulations designed to smooth the way for settlement construction, he added.
“These are the kinds of mechanisms that can create a favourable legal and political climate for entrenching new outposts.”
Territorial expansion as ‘divine mission’
‘Greater Israel’ is an ideological concept that envisions expanding Israel’s borders to encompass territories regarded as part of its biblical homeland. While interpretations vary, it is most often associated with asserting sovereignty over the West Bank and, in some versions, the Golan Heights, Gaza, and even the Sinai Peninsula.
Abu Awad notes that settlement in the Golan Heights specifically remains “one of the most pressing issues”.
“Nine families from West Bank settlements, along with some from the Golan, are now seeking to establish themselves in a part of the territory that has long remained untapped by settlers,” Abu Awad says.
“It was never truly unsettled. Indigenous communities already live there, which is precisely why it has been considered such a delicate area.”
Among those preparing to relocate, he adds, is Amos Azaria, a university professor from the Ariel settlement who founded the previously mentioned Uri Tzafon.
According to Abu Awad, this movement believes in the necessity of “expanding Israel’s borders and controlling the historical lands of the Jewish people,” which is claimed to extend to large parts of Syria and Jordan, reaching the Turkish and Egyptian borders.
“The current moment is opportune,” he explains. “Israel’s surplus of power has given its leaders confidence that they can achieve expansionist goals.”
The movement is seen as driven largely by ideology, which frames settlement expansion as part of a divine mission to establish ‘Greater Israel’ and solidify Jewish rule in the region.
And to that extent, politically, “Israel seeks to preoccupy Arab countries with their internal problems, making each state busy with its own issue rather than the Palestinian cause,” Abu Awad argues.
These developments are also expected to strain already fragile ties between Syria and Israel. While some channels of communication remain, they are marked by deep mistrust, with Israel sceptical of the new Syrian leadership, and Damascus equally wary of Israeli intentions.
“When Benjamin Netanyahu speaks about ‘Greater Israel,’ he sends a message to Arab countries to set aside the Palestinian issue,” he adds.
“These dynamics bring together ideology, security, and politics, at a time when Israel is trying to secure agreements on its own terms by pointing to the risk of partition and backing separatist movements in Syria.”
The move could risk emboldening Israel’s dominant political current to push further in this direction, convinced that only military and political might will allow it to achieve its objectives.
“The longer the conflict drags on, the more this current gains ground, sidelining rival voices,” he explains.