Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that Israel plans to build a network of allies in and around the Middle East to fight what he calls “radical” opponents.
Netanyahu made the comments on Sunday as he announced the upcoming presidential election. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits IsraelThe Israeli leader said the country would become part of an “axis of like-minded nations” with Israel.
Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, also mentioned Greece, Cyprus and other unnamed Arab, African and Asian countries.
“In my immediate vision, we will create a complete system, essentially a ‘hexagonal’ alliance around or within the Middle East,” Netanyahu said, according to the Times of Israel.
“The aim here is to create a national axis that agrees on realities, challenges and goals, against the radical axis, both the radical Shiite axis that we are fighting so hard and the emerging radical Sunni axis.”
Modi said he fully agreed with Netanyahu on “the bonds between India and Israel”, including the “diversity of our bilateral relations”.
“India deeply values its enduring friendship with Israel, a friendship built on trust, innovation and a shared commitment to peace and progress,” Modi wrote in a post on X.
Since Israel launched its genocidal war against Gaza, attack has been weakening the Iranian-led “axis of resistance,” including Lebanese Hezbollah. Israel and Iran also directly engaged in a 12-day war in June last year, and the US military was also involved in this war. Joint attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Netanyahu did not elaborate on what he meant by the “emerging radical Sunni axis,” but he has previously identified the Muslim Brotherhood as its main element.
The bloodshed in Gaza has soured relations between Israel and several Sunni Muslim countries, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Harsh criticism of Netanyahuand Saudi Arabia, which accuses Israel of genocide.
Prospects for normalization Relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia also appear to be weakening. In recent months, Saudi Arabia has condemned Israel’s recognition of Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland and its annexation of the occupied West Bank.
Since 2020, Israel has been pushing for formal ties with Arab and Muslim countries as a way to solidify its regional position as part of the U.S.-backed so-called Abraham Accords.
Within this framework, Israel maintains close relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.