Israel must prepare for a potential war with Turkey: this is the clear conclusion reached by a special commission set up by the Israeli government, which has issued a report to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning of the growing risk of a direct conflict between the Israeli and Turkish states, citing Ankara’s ‘Ottoman ambitions’ and its influence in Syria, and claiming that the threat posed by Ankara ‘could even exceed that of Iran’.
The conclusions of the report issued by the so-called Nagel Commission, which was set up by the Israeli government and makes a series of defence and security recommendations, claim that Turkey has ambitions to restore its Ottoman-era influence, which could lead to growing tensions with Israel that could escalate into open conflict, the Israeli daily Jerusalem Post reported in the last 24 hours.
The English-language Israeli daily says the report warns of the risk that Turkish-allied factions in Syria pose to Israel’s security, adding that ‘the threat from Syria could evolve into something even more dangerous than the Iranian threat’, and that Ankara-backed Syrian armed factions could act as proxies, helping to destabilise the region.
The so-called Nagel Commission reportedly presented yesterday these findings to Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defence Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, including a series of recommendations to address these ‘emerging threats’, according to the Jerusalem Post.
A new arms race against Turkey
These proposals would include increasing Israel’s defence budget by 15 billion sekels (about 4 billion euros) annually over the next five years, to ensure that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are equipped to deal with these and other regional threats.
Other measures for a possible confrontation with Turkey that the commission recommends include:
- Acquisition of new F-15 fighters, refuelling aircraft, drones and satellites to bolster long-range strike capabilities.
- Improving multi-layered air defence capabilities, including systems such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow anti-ballistic missiles and the Iron Beam laser defence system.
- Building a fortified security barrier along the Jordan Valley, despite the negative consequences this might have for relations with Jordan.
Referring to the report’s findings, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that ‘we are witnessing fundamental changes in the Middle East’. ‘Iran has long been our greatest threat, but new forces are entering the arena, and we must be prepared for the unexpected,’ he said in what was interpreted as a veiled reference to Syria but, above all, to Turkey.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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