Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard has suggested that Turkiye and Egypt could be Israel’s next military targets, echoing a growing Israeli narrative that increasingly casts Ankara as the “new Iran” and a future strategic enemy.
Speaking on an Arutz Sheva podcast, Pollard said Israel should prepare for wider regional wars following its confrontation with Iran. “I’m not so sure that we will have as easy a time with the Turks as we’ve had with the Iranians,” he said. “We have to be prepared for the next war, which will probably be against Turkiye and Egypt. The storm is coming.”
Pollard also warned Israel against allowing the Turkish-backed transitional government in Syria to regain control of southern areas occupied by Israeli forces, arguing that such a move would place “the Turks on our border”. His comments come amid growing Israeli concern over Turkiye’s role in Syria and its expanding regional influence.
The remarks are consistent with a wider Israeli effort to reframe Turkiye as a major military threat. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has described Turkiye, with Qatari support, as replacing Iran as Israel’s main strategic challenge, while Israeli security circles have warned of possible direct confrontation with Ankara in Syria. Analysts have cautioned that framing Turkiye as the “new Iran” risks turning rivalry into open confrontation.
