The newspaper cited former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett as publicly calling Turkey a threat to Israel last week and accusing Ankara of aligning with a hostile regional bloc. Bennett warned Israel could not “turn a blind eye” to Turkey, adding that Tel Aviv must counter threats from both Tehran and Ankara.
“Although Iran has long been Israel’s main adversary, Turkey has become a frequent target of criticism, because it strongly condemns Israel’s actions toward Palestinians and the war in the Gaza Strip, while strengthening ties with regional powers such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt,” Daily Sabah said.
The paper said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reinforced the narrative on Sunday by announcing plans to build a new “hexagon” of alliances to counter what he called an “emerging Sunni axis.”
Quoted by Daily Sabah, Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas said Israeli leaders often rely on a sense of external threat to mobilize support, but added that Turkey — unlike Iran — has never denied Israel’s right to exist or threatened its destruction.
Commenting on recent statements about Turkey, Pinkas called comparing the two countries “ridiculous,” according to the paper.
Daily Sabah also noted that despite recent disputes, Israel and Turkey have decades of pragmatic relations and that Turkey is a NATO member.
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Source: PAP