Israel is closely monitoring Turkey's attempts to establish itself in Syria amid concerns that the weakened Iranian axis could be replaced by equally radical elements on Israel's doorstep. According to information obtained by Israel Hayom, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been addressing this issue since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, particularly following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent decision to deploy significant forces in Syria.
New data emerging now sheds light on the reason for Israeli vigilance: In 2023 alone, the largest number of weapons smuggling attempts into Israel originated from Turkey.
Netanyahu has been forced to address this issue following exceptional findings at border crossings that indicated that parallel to the Iranian smuggling route through Jordan to the West Bank, an equally extensive route operates through Turkey. Since October 7, Turkey has increasingly aligned itself with Hamas, with its leaders even providing safe haven for the organization's continued activities.
Hamas "charity" funds operating freely in Turkey have been collecting money to finance the organization's terrorism for many years. The Turkish-global threat intersects again with Israel at this point where Assad's regime has fallen and Syria has created a vacuum that could invite new-old threats facing the Golan Heights.
While the IDF tactically focuses on eliminating the Assad army's capabilities, some worry Israel is again missing the strategy: preventing another murderous regime with Nazi ideology from growing on our doorstep – Assad, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, or Erdogan – it's all the same thing.
Regional sources expressed doubts to Israel regarding rebel leader al-Julani's recent polished speech and requested Israeli vigilance regarding what's to come. Others warning Israel include Syrian Kurds and Druze, who fear falling into the hands of the Turks and al-Julani's men.
Defense Minister Israel Katz addressed developments in Syria during Monday's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting, saying in the closed session that "The main reason for the Assad regime's fall is the rebels' sense that the Iranian axis has significantly weakened, a feeling that prompted them to act." Katz added, "We must be prepared for all scenarios and prevent the formation of a tangible threat to Golan residents and to avoid returning to the pre-October 7 reality of invasion threats into Israeli territory."
Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee member MK Amit Halevi has already approached Netanyahu twice on this matter, requesting to examine the possibility of actively working toward Syria's redistribution into "cantons," an issue also being examined by top defense officials. "We currently face a clear danger that Syria will become a regional center of radical Islam and Erdogan's imperialist ambitions," Halevi wrote to Netanyahu. "Therefore, it is crucial that, especially during these days, Israel's government initiates an international conference to reorganize international borders within Syria and with its neighbors. This is necessary to ensure state security and prevent the establishment of a neo-Nazi regime in the spirit of extreme Islam."
