More dangerous than Iran - Israel warned of a new military threat

Former head of Israel's National Security Council, Major General (res.) Giora Eiland, stated that Turkey could pose a more serious military threat to Israel than Iran. He identified Syria as the most dangerous point of potential confrontation. Eiland called on Israel to avoid direct confrontation with Ankara and to try to negotiate with Damascus on the withdrawal of Israeli forces in exchange for guarantees that Turkish weapons would not be deployed in Syria.

Former head of Israel's National Security Council, Major General (res.) Giora Eiland, warned that Turkey could pose a more serious military threat to Israel than Iran. According to him, Turkey's military capabilities allow it to inflict damage that Iran cannot. He identified Syria as the most dangerous point of potential confrontation between the two countries. Eiland called on Israel to avoid direct confrontation with Ankara and to try to negotiate with Damascus on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied territories in exchange for guarantees that modern Turkish weapons would not be deployed in Syria. He noted that Turkish interests go beyond Erdogan's policies, and the desire to expand influence has existed for decades, but under Erdogan, Islamist ideology and attempts to establish a foothold in Syria, Libya, Somalia, and other countries have been added. A significant part of the interview was devoted to the October 7 failure. Eiland placed about 75 percent of the responsibility on the military leadership and 25-30 percent on the political echelon. He said that a year and a half before the attack, intelligence had a document with a detailed plan for the Hamas invasion, but the army continued to assume that the group was not interested in a major war. Eiland also called on Israel to clearly define its goals before starting any new military campaign.