Netanyahu Under Fire Over Israel’s Growing Confrontation With Turkey
Israel-Turkey tensions raise questions over Netanyahu’s election strategy
JERUSALEM: Turkey has emerged as a new flashpoint in Israel’s regional security calculations, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing growing scrutiny over whether his government’s confrontation with Ankara is driven solely by security concerns or is also linked to the upcoming elections.
A giant billboard along a major highway in Tel Aviv recently featured Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan alongside the leaders of Iran and Hezbollah and New York City Mayor as perceived adversaries of Israel. The billboard carried the slogan: “They want Netanyahu to lose. Don’t let them win.”
Days later, Israeli fighter jets struck the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northern Syria, with Israeli officials saying the operation targeted what they described as an emerging Turkish military presence that could pose a strategic threat to Israel.
The timing of the strike, just over two months before elections, has prompted debate inside Israel and abroad over whether Netanyahu is responding to a genuine military threat or using the confrontation to strengthen his political position.
US President Donald Trump’s envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, publicly criticized the Israeli operation, describing it as an “unnecessary escalation.” In an interview, Barrack suggested that Israel may have sought to provoke Turkey, saying the move could potentially benefit Netanyahu ahead of the elections.
Israel, however, has strongly rejected claims that the operation was politically motivated. Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli intelligence had indicated that Turkey was preparing to establish a military presence at the airbase.
An Israeli military source said the Israel Defense Forces had obtained intelligence indicating that Turkey planned to deploy personnel, drones and air-defense systems at the site. According to the source, such a deployment could restrict Israel’s freedom of movement in Syrian airspace and alter the regional military balance.
The intelligence was reportedly shared with the Trump administration and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Israel and Syria have also held deconfliction talks during the past year as part of efforts to prevent further escalation.
Netanyahu has spent much of his political career presenting himself as a leader capable of protecting Israel from security threats. His critics, however, argue that he has repeatedly used regional crises to reinforce his political standing.
The latest tensions have also prompted diplomatic efforts to contain the situation. Mossad chief Roman Goffman reportedly met Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Jordan as part of efforts to ease tensions.
Turkey has rejected Israel’s justification for the strike, accusing Netanyahu of pursuing “expansionist and destabilizing policies” ahead of the elections. Ankara said it would continue working with the Syrian government to promote peace, stability and prosperity.
Netanyahu steps up criticism of Erdogan
Netanyahu and Katz have continued to warn against the establishment of a Turkish military presence in Syria.
“We will not tolerate a military Turkish presence taking root in Syria and threatening Israel,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu’s office has also intensified its criticism of Erdogan, recently describing the Turkish president as an “antisemitic tyrant who oppresses his own people.”
The two leaders have been involved in a long-running political dispute that has intensified over Israel’s wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. Erdogan has repeatedly accused Netanyahu of war crimes and criticized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, while Netanyahu has accused Erdogan of supporting Hamas.
The dispute has also extended to military cooperation. Netanyahu recently opposed the possible sale of US F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, citing what he described as Erdogan’s aggressive ambitions in the region.
Security analysts say both the military and political explanations may have some validity.
Amos Harel, a senior security analyst for Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, said there were indications that Turkey was pursuing military moves in Syria that concerned Israeli officials, including possible deployment of advisers, drones and air-defense systems.
At the same time, Harel said Netanyahu appeared to be pursuing a more aggressive regional strategy since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Under this approach, Israel has sought to act preemptively against perceived threats while maintaining security buffer zones along its borders with Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.
Israel seized a roughly 400-square-kilometre buffer zone inside Syria following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government in 2024 and has maintained control over the area since then.
Opposition questions political timing
The political implications of the confrontation have further fueled criticism of Netanyahu.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid defended the military operation itself but criticized the government’s public statements following the strike, saying that military action, when necessary, should be followed by restraint rather than triumphalism.
Yair Golan, leader of the left-wing Democrats party, described the operation as “provocative and dangerous.”
Former prime minister Ehud Barak went further, arguing on social media that the escalation appeared to have political motivations and could be aimed at entering the election campaign amid a series of security crises designed to alarm the Israeli public.
Netanyahu and his political bloc are currently trailing in opinion polls, raising concerns among his opponents that a new regional security crisis could reshape the political landscape and place national security at the center of the election campaign.
Harel said Netanyahu has long been viewed as someone who believes that a major security emergency could dramatically change the political equation.
With the Trump administration placing limits on Israel’s military operations in Iran, Gaza and Lebanon, he argued, tensions involving Turkey and Syria could become another potential front.
The developments have therefore placed Israel’s security concerns and Netanyahu’s political calculations under intense scrutiny, with questions remaining over whether the latest confrontation with Turkey is primarily a response to an emerging military threat or part of a broader strategy ahead of the elections.
News Source: CNN