NATO would not come to Israel's defense in the event of an attack by arch enemy Iran, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told German magazine Der Spiegel on Saturday.
"Israel is our partner, but not a member of NATO. The security guarantee of Article 5 does not apply to Israel," Stoltenberg said.
In this context it is important to note that article 5 also was not applied when Turkey, a NATO member, was attacked by hostile forces from Syrian territory.
The clause was first implemented in 2001, after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S.
Stoltenberg also said NATO – whose member states include the United States and Germany, among others – is not involved in Middle East peace efforts or in any conflicts in the region.
He spoke at a time of rising Israel-Iran tensions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently intensified his criticism of a 2015 agreement between world powers and Iran that offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. The U.S. withdrew from the deal last month.
Israel and Iran have also clashed militarily over Iran's military presence in Syria.
Stoltenberg admitted to differences of opinion within the military alliance over the effectiveness of the nuclear deal with Iran, but cited general concern within the organization over Iran's ballistic missile program and its destabilizing activities in the Middle East.
"We are all equally concerned about Iran's missile program and its activities leading to instability in the region, for example the support of terrorist groups," Stoltenberg said.
