Israel, after years of military operations against Palestinians and neighboring states, has now identified Turkey as its next major adversary following setbacks in its joint campaign with the United States against Iran. The article reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right ministers have begun portraying Turkey as a new strategic threat, echoing earlier rhetoric used against Iran. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett publicly labeled Turkey as the 'new Iran' during a February conference, accusing Ankara of forming a hostile Sunni alliance with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

In response, Netanyahu announced plans to form a counter-alliance with India, Greece, and Cyprus to confront what he described as a Turkey-led bloc. Analysts cited in the report note that while Israel perceives growing threats from Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, there is no formal defense pact or coordinated military planning among these states. Experts from King’s College London and Chatham House suggest that Israel’s heightened threat narrative may serve internal political purposes rather than reflect an imminent regional coalition.

The report concludes that whether such a confrontation materializes depends more on Israel’s strategic choices than on the intentions of Ankara, Cairo, Riyadh, or Islamabad.