ISRAELE: IL NUOVO PROGETTO MONDIALE | Mauro Biglino

Summary

Mauro Biglino examines the first World Noahide Congress in Jerusalem, describing it as more than a religious gathering. He says its organizers aim to establish an international movement, with representatives across continents, coordinating bodies, a rabbinical court, and Jerusalem as its spiritual center.

The movement invites non-Jews to follow the seven Noahide laws. Biglino notes that these laws are formulated in rabbinic tradition, particularly the Talmud, rather than listed as such in the biblical text. He contrasts these later rules with the covenant with Noah in Genesis, which the biblical account extends to Noah’s descendants and other living beings.

The congress’s organizers link their project to a prophecy in Zechariah about many nations joining Yahweh and becoming one people. Biglino argues that this gives the movement a universal scope while still placing the Jewish people, Israel, and Jerusalem in a central role. He connects this outlook to religious Zionism, while stressing that the Noahide movement itself does not advocate territorial expansion by the Israeli state.

Biblical language and territorial politics

The commentary considers biblical language alongside present-day territorial politics. Biglino cites United Nations documentation from September 2026 concerning plans or approvals for more than 8,000 housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem between June and September. He clarifies that these were not 8,000 completed homes.

He also discusses the E1 development project and refers to the International Court of Justice’s 2024 advisory opinion, which stated that Israel’s continued presence in occupied Palestinian territories is contrary to international law and that settlement activity should cease. He notes that the Israeli government disputes such conclusions, citing historical, security, and political arguments.

Biglino focuses on biblical passages that describe land and power in concrete terms:

• Genesis 15: the land grant to Abraham’s descendants.
• Deuteronomy 32: the division of nations and territories.
• Exodus 23: the gradual displacement of the land’s inhabitants.

He argues that these texts describe territory, inheritance, and conquest, and that later traditions have interpreted them in ways that continue to inform contemporary ideas about identity and land. He contrasts his own reading of Deuteronomy with traditional theological interpretations.

Biblical references in political rhetoric

Biglino also discusses political uses of biblical references. In an August 2025 interview, Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly described himself as committed to a historical and spiritual mission and expressed a connection to the idea of “Greater Israel.” Biglino notes that the phrase has had varying territorial meanings.

After the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, Netanyahu invoked Amalek. Biglino says the Israeli government framed this as a call to remember the attack and fight Hamas, while other observers emphasized the biblical account’s association with the destruction of the Amalekites.

His broader point is that biblical references can shape political rhetoric. However, he cautions that Israeli policy is also driven by security, military, strategic, and financial interests, and that Jewish and Israeli opinion is diverse.

Shiloh and contested territory

The congress’s planned visit to Shiloh is presented as another intersection of religious memory and contested territory. The biblical site is in the West Bank, within an Israeli settlement. Biglino argues that highlighting such places can reinforce narratives of historical and religious continuity.

Conclusion

Biglino concludes that ancient biblical texts remain politically and culturally influential. The Noahide project and Israeli territorial policy are distinct phenomena, he says, but both operate in a context where religious and national identities are intertwined.

He urges readers to distinguish the wording of ancient texts from later interpretations and to follow the movement’s development, given its global ambitions and emphasis on Jerusalem.

Presenters and contributors

• Mauro Biglino — presenter and commentator
• Matteo Corrias — thanked for his collaboration