Israel is seeking to avoid a direct conflict with Turkey, but believes Ankara’s planned military expansion in Syria crossed a security “red line,” Ambassador to the United States Mike Huckabee said.
JERUSALEM — Israel does not want war with either Turkey or Syria, but a “red line” was crossed before Israeli forces struck the Abu al-Duhur airbase, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Mike Huckabee, said as tensions over Syria continue to rise.
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Huckabee said Israel had obtained “clear intelligence” indicating that Turkey was preparing to substantially increase its military presence in Syria ahead of the strike.
Israel remained willing to pursue talks with Ankara, Huckabee said, stressing that Jerusalem wanted to prevent a direct military confrontation with Turkey.
At the same time, he accused Turkey of holding a fundamentally hostile position toward Israel, saying Ankara preferred to “wipe Israel off the map.”
According to Huckabee, the intelligence suggested Turkey was preparing to broaden its military footprint in Syria, a development Israeli officials regarded as a potential threat to the country’s security.
Israel then struck the Abu al-Duhur airbase, the ambassador said in the account he provided.
His comments came as tensions between Israel and Turkey intensified over Syria, where Ankara has maintained a significant military presence and worked to expand its influence since the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
Israel has repeatedly said it will take action against military deployments in Syria that it considers dangerous to its security. Turkey has strongly opposed Israeli military operations there.
The countries have also clashed over Israel’s war in Gaza. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly condemned Israel’s military campaign and called for the conflict to end.
Despite the widening disputes, Huckabee said Israel was still prepared to engage Turkey through diplomatic channels.
“We are certainly open to dialogue with Turkey,” he said, while maintaining that Ankara’s declared position toward Israel complicated the prospect of meaningful talks.
Huckabee’s remarks highlight the possibility of confrontation between two regional powers whose military operations and strategic interests increasingly intersect in Syria.
Both Israel and Turkey have sought to influence Syria’s post-war security environment, fueling concern that rival military deployments could produce additional clashes.
Huckabee said Israel was not pursuing a direct war with Turkey, but emphasized that Jerusalem would respond if it determined that its security interests had been endangered.
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