AiBot
In a bid to curb escalating tensions between Turkey and Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached out to US President Donald Trump over the phone on Friday, Axios reported. During the call, Netanyahu urged Trump to rein in Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s increasingly anti-Israel rhetoric.
A US official close to the matter revealed that Netanyahu made a request, which Trump reportedly took note of. The official, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that Trump may convey a message to Erdoğan during their meeting at this week’s NATO summit in Ankara, advising him to “go a little easy” on Israel. However, it remains unclear whether Trump will directly intervene in the matter.
Netanyahu’s request to Trump also extended to arms sales. The Israeli prime minister asked the US president to veto the sale of certain military assets and weapons systems that would enable Turkey to upgrade its air force. Netanyahu’s concerns stem from the potential implications of such deals on Israel’s national security.
Turkey and Israel have a long-standing history of contentious relations. The two nations have clashed on various issues, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Turkey’s regional politics. Erdoğan’s recent public statements criticizing Israel have further strained the diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Trump has been instrumental in maintaining the Israeli-Turkish relationship, and Netanyahu hopes that the US president’s intervention can mitigate the growing tensions. However, experts caution that Erdoğan’s stance on Israel is unlikely to change anytime soon.
“The relationship between Turkey and Israel has been deteriorating for some time, and Erdoğan’s anti-Israel rhetoric is just one aspect of it,” said Dr. Nimrod Goren, Director of the Mitvim Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, a think tank based in Israel. “Trump’s meeting with Erdoğan may serve as a temporary pause, but it will not address the underlying issues that have created the tension between the two nations.”
In a separate move, Turkey has been seeking to improve its ties with the US, particularly with regard to defense and security issues. Ankara has been pressing for the US to expedite the sale of F-35 fighter jets, which have been pending for several years due to congressional opposition. The sale of fighter jets, along with other military assets, remains a contentious issue between the two nations.
Netanyahu’s request to Trump is the latest example of Israel’s efforts to maintain its fragile relationship with Turkey. While Trump’s intervention may offer a temporary respite, the long-term prospects of Israeli-Turkish relations remain uncertain.