Israel 'will be at war with Syria sooner or later', says Likud minister

AI Summary

Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli stated that Israel will inevitably be at war with Syria, outlining a 'radical Sunni axis of evil' including Pakistan, Turkey, and Qatar, seen as more dangerous than Iran. He criticized the emerging Middle Eastern alliances and highlighted the threat they pose to Israel.

Israel 'will be at war with Syria sooner or later', says Likud minister Nadav Rapaport on Thu, 06/18/2026 - 16:01 Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli outlined a 'radical Sunni axis of evil' made up of Pakistan, Turkey and Qatar Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli (R) sits beside Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, as they attend a conference on antisemitism in Jerusalem on 27 March 2025 (AFP) Off An Israeli minister from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party said this week that Israel “will be at war with Syria sooner or later”. The remarks came in a series of radio interviews given by Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli on Wednesday and Thursday, in which he outlined what he dubbed a "radical Sunni axis of evil" in the Middle East. “There is no way that a jihadist regime rooted in Isis and al-Qaeda, whose aspiration is the unification of Jerusalem, can live in peace alongside the State of Israel,” the far-right minister said, referring to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government.  Speaking to Israel’s Army Radio on Thursday, Chikli outlined what he considers to be a new anti-Israel alliance made up of Pakistan, Turkey and Qatar, which he said worried him far more than Iran and its ceasefire deal with the US. While the Likud minister acknowledged that Iran had scored some major achievements with the US agreement, he said that “what is far more troubling is the new axis emerging in the Middle East”. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Israeli minister suggested that Pakistan and Turkey were part of this axis after playing a major role in negotiations between the US and Iran. In another interview on Thursday with Kol Barama radio, Chikli explained his view of Qatar’s role in his emerging axis, saying that the Gulf country is “the PR arm of the jihadists”. 'Sunni axis of evil' Chikli is fostering ties with right-wing politicians and governments around the globe. This week he jumped to the defence of far-right British agitator Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. Referring to UK police stopping Robinson and seizing his phones as he returned to the country from Russia, Chikli said that “one of Britain’s clearest voices against real Islamic terrorism is now being hunted under anti-terrorism laws. At this rate Britain will become the second Islamic Republic in Europe.” During his Kol Barama radio interview, the Israeli minister said that Pakistan and Turkey are “enemies” of India, Greece and Cyprus, which are close allies of Israel. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); “What we are witnessing before our eyes is the rise of a new axis,” Chikli told 103FM radio on Wednesday, referring to Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan. He described this so-called alliance as “a radical Sunni axis of evil, more dangerous than anything we have seen before”. Israeli MP Ariel Kellner declares Turkey an ‘enemy state’ Read More » While Chikli mentioned both Qatar and Pakistan in his interviews, he mainly focused on Turkey, branding Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's vision “an extremely dangerous combination for us”. Turkey, Chikli said, had essentially established ”a Turkish protectorate“ in Syria. "Turkey and Syria are ten thousand times more concerning than Iran," he said. The Likud minister’s comments come at a time of growing tension between Turkey and Israel, with Erdogan saying recently that Israel's attacks in Syria and Lebanon pose a threat to his country. ”Israel must be stopped, this is the duty of humanity,“ the Turkish leader said earlier this month, while Turkey's Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci spoke recently about the ”liberation“ of Jerusalem. Chikli is far from the first Israeli politician to tout a threat from Turkey. Last week, Israeli lawmaker Ariel Kellner, also of Likud, called Turkey an "enemy state", while Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar said last month that Israel "must begin to treat Turkey as an enemy state," suggesting that Turkey would suffer heavy blows in a possible conflict with Israel. In February, former prime minister Naftali Bennett indicated that he sees Turkey as an enemy, with the opposition figure stating: "Turkey is the new Iran." On Thursday, when Chikli was asked whether, after two and a half years of wars, Israelis could expect a period of calm, he said he hoped so, but not for long. Turkey, according to Chikli, ”has very clear ambitions” and is compromising Israel interests. He said, though, that Israel has “no ambition to conquer Ankara”, and that he “would be very happy if there is no war with Syria and Turkey”. Reflecting on a lesson he had learned from the Hamas-led attack of 7 October 2023, Chikli said: “When the enemy says something, I listen.” War on Iran Tel Aviv, Israel News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19