"Seven countries in five years" to advance the cause of Greater Israel

The phrase "seven countries in five years" refers to an alleged post-9/11 U.S. Department of Defense plan to destabilize or overthrow specific governments in the Middle East and North Africa. This claim was popularized by retired U.S. Army General 

Wesley Clark

, who stated that a senior military officer showed him a classified memo in 2001 detailing this strategy. 

While Clark’s original account focused on U.S. foreign policy and neoconservative influence within the Bush administration, some critics and analysts link this plan to the "Greater Israel" project—an ideological vision of an expanded Israeli state. 

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The "Seven Countries" Plan

According to General Wesley Clark, the 2001 Pentagon memo outlined a five-year campaign to "take out" the following seven countries:

1. Iraq
2. Syria
3. Lebanon
4. Libya
5. Somalia
6. Sudan
7. Iran
    (to be "finished off" last) 

Clark argued that this strategy was a "policy coup" by hardline officials, such as Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz, who sought to remake the Middle East without a national dialogue or clear link to the 9/11 attacks. 

Connection to "Greater Israel"

The "Greater Israel" (Eretz Yisrael Hashlema) project is a Zionist ideology suggesting a Jewish state that extends beyond current borders, historically described by some as stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates. Modern interpretations of this link to the "seven countries" claim through several frameworks: 

• The Yinon Plan (1982): Authored by Israeli strategist Oded Yinon, this document advocated for the fragmentation of Arab states into smaller, sectarian entities to ensure Israel's regional dominance. It specifically called for the dissolution of 
  Iraq
  , 
  Syria
  , and 
  Lebanon
   along ethnic and religious lines.
• A Clean Break (1996): A report prepared for Benjamin Netanyahu by U.S. neoconservatives (including Richard Perle and Douglas Feith) that suggested a new strategy for Israel, including the removal of Saddam Hussein and the containment of 
  Syria
   and 
  Lebanon
  .
• Neoconservative Influence: Analysts like Jeffrey Sachs argue that these strategies were integrated into U.S. foreign policy after 9/11, effectively using American military power to advance regional goals that aligned with expansionist Israeli interests. 

Recent Regional Context

The concept of "Greater Israel" has seen renewed attention due to recent statements and military actions: 

• Official Statements: Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has publicly stated a desire for Israel to expand "little by little" to include Palestinian territories, 
  Jordan
  , 
  Lebanon
  , 
  Egypt
  , and parts of 
  Syria
  .
• The "Seven Fronts" Narrative: In 2024, Prime Minister Netanyahu and other officials described Israel as fighting a war on seven fronts: 
  Iran
  , 
  Gaza
  , 
  Lebanon
  , 
  Yemen
  , 
  Syria
  , 
  Iraq
  , and the West Bank. Some observers view this as a continuation of the long-term regional destabilization strategy described by Clark.
• Geopolitical Maps: In 2024, Netanyahu drew international criticism for presenting a map at the UN that showed Israel encompassing all of historic Palestine, which some regional leaders interpreted as a sign of expansionist intent.