Former Israeli PM Bennett warns Turkey poses a new threat
Naftali Bennett: “I must tell the truth: Israel's current leadership divided us and is dividing us now, more than ever”
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday addressed the 2026 Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem, warning that Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan poses a new strategic threat to Israel. He described Erdoğan as “a sophisticated and dangerous adversary who wants to surround Israel” and cautioned that the country must not “turn a blind eye again.”
Bennett highlighted what he described as a growing axis of concern in the region, linking Turkey, Qatar, and the Muslim Brotherhood with Pakistani nuclear capabilities, saying the alliance is attempting to incite hostility against Israel, including influencing Saudi Arabia. He said, “While certain Israeli officials are on Qatari payroll, Qatar and Turkey, which is based in Syria, and with Israeli consent in Gaza, are feeding a new monstrous axis of the Muslim Brotherhood similar to the Iranian one.”
He emphasized the need for Israel to act simultaneously against threats from Tehran and Ankara. “A new Turkish threat is emerging. We must act in different ways, but simultaneously against the threat from Tehran and against the hostility from Ankara,” Bennett said.
In addition to regional security concerns, Bennett criticized Israel’s current political leadership, arguing that the nation is divided and that the leadership has failed to protect the country. “I must tell the truth: Israel's current leadership divided us and is dividing us now, more than ever,” he said, calling for new leadership to guide the country forward.
Bennett framed his remarks as a personal pledge to lead Israel into what he described as its “next chapter.” “I will not let the leadership that failed continue. I intend to lead Israel into its next chapter - stronger,” he said, adding that Israel must move forward without those he holds responsible for past disasters.
He concluded with a call for renewal and accountability in leadership: “After three decades since coming to power, and after the greatest disaster in Israel's history occurred on his watch, a leader must know when to step down with dignity. Israel is greater than any one person. The next chapter must be written by a new leadership, without those people responsible for the disaster.”