Netanyahu and Katz could provoke a war with Turkey - opinion

Israeli security officials are concerned about public statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz directed at Turkey, fearing that the rhetoric could provoke an unnecessary escalation. Tensions rose after an IDF strike on an airfield in Idlib, which security forces wanted to keep under the radar.

Israeli security officials are expressing concern over public statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz directed at Turkey. In their view, such rhetoric could provoke an unnecessary escalation in relations between the two countries. Tensions sharply increased after a strike carried out on Tuesday night on the Abu al-Duhur military airfield in Idlib province, about 70 kilometers from the Turkish border. The operation was initiated by the IDF command, seeking to prevent the strengthening of the Turkish presence in Syria. Israeli security forces wanted to keep information about the strike under wraps to avoid direct escalation with Turkey. However, a series of sharp public statements then followed from the Israeli political leadership. On Thursday, Katz criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying he was dragging his country into dangerous adventures in Syria, and mocked him. The next day, Netanyahu intensified the rhetoric, calling Erdogan an anti-Semitic dictator who participated in massacres of Kurds, supports Hamas, and oppresses his own people. The Israeli security establishment viewed these statements negatively, fearing they could increase tensions and unnecessarily lead to further deterioration of relations with Turkey. These concerns are particularly relevant against the backdrop of assessments that Israel may soon have to counter new attempts by Ankara to strengthen its positions in Syria. Security forces prefer to conduct such operations without unnecessary noise, not allowing the situation to turn into an open war between Jerusalem and Ankara.