By Abida Kahlun
Bureau Chief Helsinki
Snn News Finland
Smotrich Says Israel Preparing for “Every Scenario”
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said Israel is preparing for every possible scenario, including military action, in response to what he described as a threat from Turkey, according to Snn News Finland.
Smotrich reportedly said the threat is real and that Israel would not allow Turkey to threaten its existence, drawing a comparison to how Israel confronted Iran.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Israeli Rhetoric on Turkey
Finance Minister Smotrich’s reported remarks fall within a wider trend of senior Israeli figures publicly identifying Turkey, under President Recep Tayyip Erdoฤan, as an emerging strategic threat.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has warned of a new Turkish threat emerging, saying Turkey is seeking influence throughout the region and describing it as “the new Iran.”
Israeli Diaspora Affairs Finance Minister Amichai Chikli has made similar comments, saying the era of Iran’s regional dominance was over and describing a new axis involving Erdoฤan’s Turkey, Syria, and Qatar.
Turkey Rejects the Characterization
Turkish officials have pushed back against being cast as a military threat to Israel.
Officials in Turkey have rejected Israeli claims that the country poses any military threat, describing such assertions as unfounded and politically motivated.
Analysts have also questioned the comparison. Some Israeli analysts have called the comparison between Ankara and Tehran close to absurd, noting that Israel and Turkey have cooperated militarily in the past and that Turkey remains a NATO member.
Context: Escalating Regional Tensions
The rhetoric comes against a backdrop of deteriorating Turkey-Israel relations, driven largely by Turkish criticism of Israeli military operations in Gaza and Syria.
Turkish President Erdoฤan has repeatedly criticized Israel’s military actions, and Turkish rhetoric toward Israel has sharpened considerably in recent months.
Turkish Finance Minister Hakan Fidan has separately suggested that Israel may designate Turkey as its primary adversary once its confrontation with Iran subsides.
What This Means
Finance Minister Smotrich’s comments, as reported, add a senior Israeli cabinet voice to a pattern of statements casting Turkey as a potential future adversary.
No corresponding Israeli military mobilization or official government policy shift targeting Turkey has been independently confirmed in connection with these remarks.
Why Israel increasingly views Turkey as ‘the new Iran
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