Israeli Knesset Member Ohad Tal calls Türkiye an ‘enemy state’
Israeli Knesset Member Ohad Tal seen attending a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting at the Knesset, Jerusalem on July 30, 2024. (Courtesy of The Times of Israel)
Ohad Tal, a member of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and a member of the Religious Zionism Party, targeted Türkiye in a post on his X account. In the post, Tal declared, “Turkey is an enemy state. The Turkish Embassy should be closed immediately.”
In a post on his X account, Tal declared, “Turkey is an enemy state. The Turkish Embassy should be closed immediately.”
Tal, who advocates for a tougher stance against Türkiye, called for Israel to prevent Turkish settlement in Syria, strengthen its alliances with Greece and Cyprus, and seek support from the United States to counter Türkiye.
‘Potential threat to Israel’
Meanwhile, an Israeli security official has claimed that the establishment of a Turkish military base in Syria could pose a “potential threat” to Israel. The statement came amid rising tensions over Türkiye’s involvement in the region.
According to Israeli media outlet The Jerusalem Post, the Israeli official spoke to Israeli media about Türkiye’s growing activities in Syria.
“If a Turkish air base is established, it would harm Israel’s freedom of action in Syria,” the official said. He called it a “potential threat” that Israel opposes.
The official also expressed concern about Syrian President Ahmed Shara’s potential actions to halt Israel’s occupation of Syrian territories. He confirmed that Israel bombed the T4 airbase as a message to show it would not tolerate airstrikes in Syria.
Israel is also wary of Shara’s long-term objectives, which the official described as unchanged and hostile. “He is our enemy,” the official added.
The Israeli official also noted that Shara is seeking to lift international sanctions on Syria, an effort that is supported by Türkiye.
Israeli political and security officials have been holding meetings to address the “possibility of Türkiye establishing military bases in Syria,” the report stated.
Israel expands its occupation of Syrian territory
The Israeli army has occupied the Golan Heights since 1967 and extended its control over the adjacent buffer zone on December 8.
Israeli forces have now advanced beyond the buffer zone, reaching within 20 kilometers of Syria’s capital, Damascus. The borders of the buffer zone and the demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights were defined by the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the occupation of southern Syria will be permanent and has called for the demilitarization of the southern region, contrary to Syria’s sovereignty.
