Israeli defense minister puts NATO power on notice as Middle East tensions surge: ‘Dangerous adventures’

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan early Thursday, accusing him of dragging Turkey into "dangerous adventures in Syria" and warning the Turkish leader not to test Israel’s resolve.

"Israel will not allow any actor to threaten its security," Katz wrote on X.

"It would be better for Erdoğan to continue his detached-from-reality, fanciful rhetoric against Israel in the Turkish Grand National Assembly than to attempt to test Israel's determination to defend itself." The warning comes two days after Israel struck Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Airbase.

The increasingly heated rhetoric has put Washington in the position of trying to contain tensions between Turkey, a NATO member, and Israel, Washington’s closest security partners in the Middle East.

Israel said Syria was on the verge of breaching a security understanding by allowing Turkish troops to deploy there, while Ankara rejected Israel’s account.

Syria said there were no plans for a permanent Turkish base or troop deployment, although Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani acknowledged that Turkish military officers had visited the facility for training and exchanges of expertise.

Turkey’s Defense Ministry said no Turkish military delegation was present at the base before or during the strike, Reuters reported .

CRITICS SAY TURKEY'S VERBAL ATTACKS ON ISRAEL HAVE CROSSED INTO ANTISEMITISM On Wednesday, Turkey called these allegations from Israel "untenable," arguing that they are "intended to legitimize Israel’s unlawful airstrikes targeting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. ...

The imputations voiced stem from Netanyahu’s intent to pursue expansionist and destabilizing policies in the region ahead of the elections in Israel," Turkey's government said in a social media post.

U.S.

Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Reuters Thursday that Washington was working on "a de-escalation process" that was already in place but still needed to be refined.

Asked whether the dispute could lead to a direct Israeli-Turkish confrontation, Huckabee said, "I don't think we're even close to that." He said Israel viewed Turkey as "moving further south" in Syria and perceived that as potentially threatening.

U.S.

Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack sounded a sharper warning after the strike.