Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said that his country “will create an entire system — essentially a kind of hexagon of alliances — around or within the Middle East,” listing India, Greece, Cyprus, and unnamed Arab, African and Asian countries.
“The intention here is to create an axis of countries that see reality, the challenges, and the goals in the same way, in contrast to the radical axes,” he says.
“Both the radical Shiite axis, which we have hit very hard, and also the emerging axis — the radical Sunni axis. All these countries share a different outlook, and cooperation between us can yield very great fruits and, of course, also ensure our strength and our future.”
On the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel, a pitch for a new geopolitical alliance has emerged from Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled what he called a "hexagon of alliances". Netanyahu's proposed bloc aims to counter what he described as "radical axes" in the Middle East (Western Asia). He has named India as a core partner, alongside Israel, Greece and Cyprus.
Other Arab, African and Asian countries are expected to be part of the framework, according to Netanyahu's statement released by the Israeli foreign office on February 22.
The announcement comes amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran and Pakistan and Saudi Arabia joining hands for a Nato-like pact, with Turkey looking to join it.
At the invitation of Netanyahu, Modi will pay a State visit to Israel on February 25–26. This will be the second visit of the Prime Minister to Israel, according to India's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the visit, the two leaders are "expected to exchange perspectives on regional and global issues of mutual interest," India's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement released on Tuesday.
The framework is designed to deepen cooperation in security, intelligence-sharing and defence.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for a hexagon of alliances is significant because it formalises a shift already underway in West and South Asia.
Unlike the earlier buzz of an India-UAE-Israel-Greece understanding, this is a publicly articulated strategic doctrine. Netanyahu named the adversaries and signalled its intent.
Netanyahu's pitch for the new alliances comes amid visible churn triggered by the Saudi-Pakistan Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed in September 2025, often described by analysts as an "Islamic Nato".
"Both the radical Shiite axis, which we have hit very hard, and also the emerging axis, the radical Sunni axis," Netanyahu said on Sunday.
The "radical Shia axis" refers primarily to Iran and its proxies such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.
The "emerging radical Sunni axis" points to evolving extremist threats, including remnants of ISIS and other terror networks in Western Asia. This alliance matters because it moves beyond bilateral ties. India, the UAE and Israel have cooperated for years, including through frameworks like the Abraham Accords and the I2U2 grouping. But there has been no formal security pact. By invoking a "hexagon", Netanyahu has signalled a structured architecture. One that would include Greece, Cyprus, more nations from Asia and Africa, with India envisaged as a key partner.
- Ends
No comments:
Post a Comment