JERUSALEM: Israel is increasingly concerned that the new defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan is directed not only at Iran but also against Israel, a senior Israeli official said Monday, warning that Egypt could eventually join the alliance.
“This agreement troubles us. This is an alliance aimed against Israel,” the official said of the defence agreement signed over the weekend in Makkah, according to foreign media.The official said the agreement reflected a broader regional shift, with the weakening of what he called the “Shiite axis” and the strengthening of the Sunni bloc.
“We would not be surprised if the Egyptians join the Makkah Alliance,” he said, adding that Israel needed to build alternative alliances, particularly with Greece, Cyprus, India and the UAE.
The agreement was signed Friday during a meeting in SaudiArabia between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Reuters noted that while the three countries remain concerned about Iran and its proxies, they are also increasingly troubled by Israel’s military policies and growing doubts over the ability of the United States to restrain further escalation.
Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that the possibility of Egypt joining the alliance has heightened concerns in Tel Aviv over a potential shift in the regional balance of power.Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had said Cairo could join the defence agreement after some technical issues were resolved.
Israeli analysts fear that combining Turkey’s advanced military capabilities with Saudi Arabia’s financial strength, Egypt’s strategic depth and Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence could create a powerful regional military bloc capable of challenging Israel’s traditional military superiority.
The possibility of Egypt joining the alliance is particularly sensitive for Israel because Cairo was the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel and remains central to security along its southern border.
Israel’s Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter described the pact as a “very, very problematic Sunni alliance” and said Pakistan’s nuclear capability required Israel to remain on guard.Dr Yoel Guzansky of the Institute for National Security Studies, however, said the pact, although far from ideal for Israel, “doesn’t shut the door completely on normalisation” between Riyadh and Jerusalem.
