Bennett Says Israel May Confront Türkiye after Iran

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that Israel could eventually face a confrontation with Türkiye if Ankara attempts to form what he described as a new Islamic alliance in the region.

Bennett said Israel might have to consider military action against Türkiye after the conflict with Iran if Ankara pursues a regional alignment that he claims could threaten Israeli security.

According to Bennett, any alliance formed around Islamist political forces would be viewed by Israel as a hostile bloc and a direct security threat.

“We will not sit idle,” Bennett said, warning that Israel would respond if it believed it was being strategically surrounded.

Bennett also said about what he described as a potential alliance led by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

“We need to ensure that Erdoğan doesn’t create a new alliance of radical Sunni Islam — an axis between himself, Julani, Qatar and Hamas,” Bennett said.

He added that Israel has long confronted what he called “radical Shiite Islam,” referring to groups aligned with Iran, and expressed hope that Türkiye would not pursue policies that “foment terror and Islamism” in its regional strategy.

Bennett said the future relationship between the two countries would depend on Ankara’s decisions.

“Ultimately, the choice is up to Türkiye. If they seek peace, we definitely want peace,” he said. “But if they try to surround us with terror, we will not sit idle.”

In remarks made in recent weeks, Bennett had already warned that Israel should not “turn a blind eye” to Türkiye, accusing Ankara of being part of a regional axis similar to the one led by Iran.

Bennett stated, ‘A new Turkish threat is emerging,’ and that Israel should address the threat coming from Tehran and its stance toward Ankara at the same time.