By Muhammad Mamman
Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett has thrown down a stark warning over what he describes as a looming “Islamist alliance” spearheaded by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, suggesting that Turkey could be the next strategic focal point for Israel after its confrontation with Iran if Ankara pursues deeper ties with regional Islamist actors. 
In remarks made this week, Bennett — now a prominent political voice outside government — framed Ankara’s potential alignment with groups and states opposed to Israeli security interests as a serious threat. He cautioned that if Turkey seeks to form an axis of radical Sunni Islam involving figures such as Syrian militant leader Abu Muhammad al‑Julani, Qatar and the Palestinian group Hamas, Israel will not remain passive. 
“We need to ensure that Erdoğan doesn’t create a new alliance of radical Sunni Islam — an axis between himself, Julani, Qatar and Hamas,” Bennett said, underscoring his belief that such a bloc would pose a strategic encirclement of Israel. “Ultimately, the choice is up to Turkey. If they seek peace, we want peace. But if they try to surround us with terror, we will not sit idle.” 
Bennett’s comments come against the backdrop of a broader Middle East conflict that has already drawn in Iran and raised fears of wider regional escalation. Israel’s confrontation with Tehran has dominated headlines, but Bennett’s remarks signal a possible shift in focus toward Ankara’s evolving regional posture. 
Turkish foreign policy under Erdoğan has increasingly blended assertive regional diplomacy with support for Palestinian causes, drawing both criticism and applause across the Muslim world. Ankara has positioned itself as a vocal critic of Israeli military action, while also navigating complex ties with Gulf states and involvement in Gaza’s humanitarian and diplomatic landscape. 
Analysts say that any suggestion of a formal alliance aligning Islamist actors with a NATO country like Turkey would represent a significant reconfiguration of Middle Eastern geopolitics — a shift Bennett warns could force Israel to reconsider its strategic priorities. 
Turkey has not publicly commented on Bennett’s latest remarks. But in recent days, Ankara has been preoccupied with tensions related to Iran’s missile activity near its airspace, underscoring the volatile regional environment in which these debates are unfolding. 
Regional stakes remain high, and as the war with Iran persists, the possibility of an expanded conflict — whether diplomatic or military — continues to shape policymaking across capitals from Ankara to Jerusalem. 
