Israel lost qualities of state

Judging by the policies Israel has followed over the past two years, it has increasingly come to resemble, from beginning to end, something far from the characteristics of a state – a kind of mafia state.

In its aggression against Gaza, Israel has killed 100,000 civilians, with women and children among those deliberately targeted. Hospitals, schools, churches and mosques have been bombed. Acting without legal or humanitarian justification and in disregard of international law, Israel has carried out a genocide, similar to the atrocities committed by Adolf Hitler.

Israel has also launched two attacks on Iran, attacking a sovereign nation simply because it chooses to do so. And the United States, being dragged into this very conflict by Israel, has been unable to disengage from that dilemma since then.

Israel did not stop there either. It began occupying parts of Lebanon and, while engaging in conflict with Hezbollah – with U.S. support – has sought to disarm and ultimately eliminate the organization.

Meanwhile, Syria, after a decade of civil war, had begun moving toward becoming a functioning nation-state once again and was attempting to recover. Yet, immediately after regime leader Bashar Assad left the country, Israel bombed 100 strategic targets, seeking to destroy Syria’s existing weapons stockpiles and air capabilities.

Having previously occupied the Golan Heights, Israel continued to act as an occupying power in Syria, seizing villages and towns deeper inside Syrian territory and advancing to areas close to Damascus.

Having pushed the United States into a major confrontation with Iran, Israel also went so far as to bomb Qatar without provocation, demonstrating that it was prepared to strike a country under the U.S. security umbrella thoughtlessly.

As the conflict with Iran continued, some Israeli political figures, both in government and opposition, began making statements that they had defeated Iran and that Türkiye would be next.

Netanyahu continues to drag the world into bloodshed to remain in power.

The Israeli government, which has repeatedly harassed Türkiye with verbal threats, now appears inclined to create new crises around the world in anticipation of Netanyahu’s possible defeat in the upcoming elections.

Türkiye is not a neighboring country of Israel, just as Iran is not. Yet, it increasingly appears that Israel does not want strong countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Türkiye or Pakistan to exist as independent regional powers.

Yet, if we look at what has happened over time, we see that while Israel portrays its own existence as being under threat, virtually all of its neighbors – and even Saudi Arabia, which also does not share a direct border with Israel – find themselves facing the threat of Israeli occupation.

For this reason, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have allied. It is an important strategic partnership designed to strengthen the three countries’ long-term security and capacity to preserve their own stability.

Last week, Israel struck a military facility in Syria and claimed that it was “sending a message” to Türkiye. The claim was that Türkiye intended to establish a military base there. Although there were no Turkish personnel at the site that was struck, Netanyahu stated that Israel had sent Türkiye a message and had subsequently acted on it.

The Republic of Türkiye has continued to respond to the attack on Syrian territory with considerable restraint. It has activated all diplomatic channels and held talks with the United States and neighboring countries.

Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran strongly condemned the attack, stating that Türkiye was prepared to take all necessary measures to protect its security and sovereignty.

One thing should be clear: the Republic of Türkiye is a country with strategic patience and the ability to make its own decisions. I do not believe that, at this stage, Türkiye will respond to Netanyahu’s reckless actions undertaken merely to gain a few percentage points in the polls. Many commentators and political scientists around the world appear to share this view.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak went even further, describing Prime Minister Netanyahu’s efforts to escalate tensions with Türkiye as “reckless and foolish.” Barak stressed the difference in Türkiye’s strategic and military weight by saying: “Türkiye is not Assad’s Syria or Iran.”

This assessment is not limited to Israeli politicians. Many sober-minded politicians and political scientists around the world have expressed similar views.

The Israeli government and Netanyahu have earned the hatred of perhaps half the world’s population over the Gaza war, making it increasingly difficult for Jews in many parts of the world to go about their daily lives without facing hostility. Yet, instead of stopping there, Israel continues to create new enemies and new sources of hostility.

It increasingly appears that this rogue state risks being consumed by the blood it has spilled. The international community will take diplomatic, legal and humanitarian measures in response to the conduct of this rogue state.

The State of Israel should understand one thing: Türkiye is not a country on which games can be played. With its history, mission, powerful military and a deeply committed population, Türkiye is a strong country – and the whole world knows it.