Israeli analyst Daniel Levy says, “To understand the idea behind these moves, we must go back to the events of October 7, the brutality of the Israeli response, and the setbacks to its efforts toward regional integration, with the normalization process with the Arabs coming to a halt. Here, Netanyahu faced a difficult choice - either resume regional normalization efforts through an approach more compatible with the Palestinians, or adhere to his position of rejecting any Palestinian future. By choosing the second option, Netanyahu had to remove Iran from the regional balance of power. This step requires direct and large-scale American military intervention along with Israel.
In the days leading up to the Iranian war, two influential former Israeli security figures noted in an article for the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security that major Sunni regional states believed that toppling or significantly weakening the Iranian regime would solidify Israel’s position as the dominant regional power. Achieving this goal requires not only the collapse of Iran, but also the weakening of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, forcing them to rely on Israel for security and energy export routes.
In other words, the consequences of the war, the targeting of GCC states by Iranian drones and missiles, can be seen as an intentional feature of Israel, not merely an unfortunate side effect.” As expected, when Israel and the United States launched this war, the GCC states’ access to global markets via the Strait of Hormuz was severely affected. When Israel escalated the war by targeting Iranian energy infrastructure, Iran carried out its threat to attack the Gulf states. Netanyahu seized the opportunity to call for alternative routes to the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. He envisioned extending oil and gas pipelines westward across the Arabian Peninsula to Israel and its Mediterranean ports. In public statements, Netanyahu linked some aspects of his project to the concept of Greater Israel.
During the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel, Netanyahu shared his vision of creating an integrated system, similar to a six-sided alliance in or around the Middle East, encompassing India, Arab states, African countries, Greece and Cyprus, and Asian countries, with Israel at the center of this alliance. A recent Hebrew-language article by two senior figures at the IDF’s official Strategic Institute clarified these points, stating that the Israeli army would not be limited to direct territorial invasions, but would instead establish control over areas far from Israel’s borders without occupying or governing them.
Israel would be granted a dominant position, like the “King of the Jungle,” thereby establishing a regional order that advances Israel’s objectives. In his recent speeches, Netanyahu has begun to portray Israel not only as a regional power but as a global superpower seeking to position itself at the center of a regional alliance capable of sustaining itself even in the event of a decline in American influence. Netanyahu has stated that this six-way alliance would be used against the radical Shiite axis and the emerging radical Sunni axis. Israel has not hesitated to identify the next potential threat it may face, which is Turkiye. Levy said some might view talk of a Greater Israel as typical wartime hyperbole, but recent Israeli policy suggests that doing so would be a mistake.
This perpetually militaristic mindset is deeply embedded in parts of the Israeli political class, the government, the opposition, the security establishment, the new right-wing elite, and the media. However, this approach carries serious risks of overreach and backlash, posing a potential danger to Israel itself, as well as tensions that the region may not tolerate. All of this is taking place while some of us are preoccupied with outdated historical grievances and animosities, at a time when Israel is actively pursuing its ambitions and goals. Amid our complete preoccupation with the treacherous attacks on our countries by our neighbor Iran, other dangers surrounding us must not be overlooked. We hope that our government is aware of these serious matters. Israel speaks about them openly, with blatant disregard for how they are perceived by us.
By Ahmad al sarraf
email: [email protected]
email: [email protected]
