The relationship between Jerusalem and Ankara. is at an all-time low following Turkey's decision to launch a "legal jihad" by issuing international arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 37 senior Israeli officials over alleged war crimes in Gaza. In turn, Israel launched airstrikes targeting the Abu al-Duhur airbase and other strategic sites in Syria.

Netanyahu stated the strikes were a direct warning to halt the Turkish military buildup heading south toward Israel's borders. Also Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of dragging Turkey into "dangerous adventures in Syria," reaffirming that Israel will not allow threats to emerge on its borders. Turkey vowed to resolutely continue expanding its military training and support for the new Syrian government.

A war in sight?

A decade ago, when the author of these lines had the privilege of a lengthy conversation in Porto with the then Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Turkey, the Gaon Isaac Haleva Z"L, he heard very positive opinions from him regarding Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Haleva characterized Erdoğan as "a friend" and "a helpful leader" who "listened to the community’s problems" and directly "facilitated solutions".

However much the Jews of the Diaspora trust the Israeli leaders and intelligence services, to which they ultimately owe their own security and existence, there is something else they always take into great account: the opinion of the local Jewish communities. Haleva was truly the authoritative voice of the Turkish Jewish community. "I am a Turkish Jew," he used to say.

Erdoğan held Rabbi Haleva in high esteem, regularly including him in major diplomatic and interfaith functions. This included a prominent 2021 presidential palace reception where Haleva and international rabbis gifted the Turkish President an ornate silver menorah. Years before, Haleva was truly excited when the Jewish community of Porto presented golden menorahs to the presidents of US, Russia and Portugal.

Political rhetoric of the "monster"

Israeli officials have repeatedly accused the Turkish President of using Muslim Brotherhood ideology and attempting to revive a "neo-Ottoman empire" to assert dominance over the Middle East, highlighting his deep ideological alignment with radical political Islam. By labeling him a "Brotherhood maniac" or dictator, Israel frames Erdoğan not as a conventional secular leader, but as a radical Islamist believer aiming to subvert the Middle East's existing political order.

The accusation of attempting to recreate the ancient Ottoman Empire refers to a shift in Turkish foreign policy to back toward its former imperial territories in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Balkans. Israeli ministers accused Erdoğan of attempting to forcefully inject Turkey into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to claim custody over Islamic holy sites like the Al-Aqsa Mosque, mimicking the historic Ottoman sultans. The Ottoman Empire ruled Jerusalem for 400 years.

Israel points to Turkey's aggressive military interventions across former Ottoman lands—such as deploying troops into northern Syria, intervening in Libya, and maintaining forces in northern Iraq—as evidence of an expansionist, imperial agenda. Indeed, during the so-called Arab Spring, Turkey aggressively backed Muslim Brotherhood factions trying to take power in Egypt, Syria, and Tunisia. Besides, Turkey does not view Hamas (a Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood) as a terrorist organization. viewing them as a legitimate "liberation movement".

By deploying the "Muslim Brotherhood" and "Ottoman" labels, Israel aims to delegitimize Erdoğan's actions, framing him as a dangerous, imperialistic radical rather than a legitimate head of state. The author of these lines does not believe that Grand Rabbi Isaac Haleva, if he were alive, would agree with these descriptions. Be that as it may, in politics nothing is stable for a long time. Nations change, and so do people.

However, it must be recognized that Erdogan brings national stability to Turkey and can effectively navigate major crises. He must be praised for cultivating national pride by reviving cultural traditions linked to the Ottoman Empire. He is a champion of ordinary, pious, and working-class Turks who were historically marginalized by the country’s secular elite. Followers celebrate his willingness to challenge Western allies, to protect Turkey’s regional security.

Netanyahu is a political genius with a deep knowledge of history, learned from his grandfather, the Gaon Milikovsky, and also from his father, Benzion, and brother, Yonathan. He is a leader dedicated to preserving Israel’s distinct identity as a Jewish state. By prioritizing the Jewish character of the state and aligning with religious factions, he has cultivated deep loyalty among communities who feel he authentically protects their heritage and interests against critics. Ability to build personal rapport with powerful world leaders is viewed as unique assets that no other current Israeli politician can replicate. His leadership in highly irreplaceable terms. This is a common characteristic he has with the Turkish president.

Ideological and Belligerent rhetoric tends to always portray adversaries as monsters. Vladimir Putin and Donald J. Trump are other examples. In the US, Trump's traits that supporters view as "strong leadership" or "fighting spirit" are frequently categorized by critics and political opponents as "arrogant" and "dangerous". His base praises him for following through on his campaign commitments, something very rare today. He cares about the needs of ordinary citizens who view him as a highly commanding executive capable of taking decisive action. His personal background as a billionaire businessman and married to a super model is viewed as elite detachment and a proof of his economic expertise and independence from Washington corruption. His most loyal followers view him through the lens of persistence, hard work, and goal-oriented leadership.

Continuing to despise Donald Trump, even after he has survived the media, judicial and terrorist siege mounted on him for years, is suicidal. The international "analysts" paid for this, not even understanding why he distanced himself from NATO, without relating the fact to the tension between Israel and Turkey. Thus go the "analyses" for consumption by the increasingly imbecilic masses.

In Russia, Putin is viewed as a paternalistic figure capable of managing major internal and external crises, serving as an anchor of social order. He has an image of physical toughness and personal discipline. Loyalists champion Putin as a global defender of traditional family structures, religious heritage, and historical continuity against Western social globalization. They emphasize his commitment to restoring Russia’s status as a respected "Great Power" on the global stage, arguing that he recovered the country's national dignity after the collapse of the Soviet Union. They value his blunt verbal style, seeing his aggressive rhetoric against political rivals or foreign governments as a sign of a "strong leader" who cannot be pushed around by international adversaries.

Western elites, for the most part, hate Trump and especially Putin. He deplores woke communism and presides over the last great power in Europe based on Judeo-Christian civilization and a national identity and culture. These criticisms will most likely end with selective eliminations or kidnappings in Brussels, as historically happened in Paris and Berlin, with the more or less provoked suicide of local political and media leaders. That KGB man knows history very well, possesses the largest nuclear arsenal on Earth, vast mineral and agricultural resources, oil, gas and rare metals... and even more, leads Siberia, sadly famous for its punitive courts. If dimensionless politicians want to continue gambling with their lives and the lives of their citizens without knowing anything about history, then one should wish them "good luck."

Parashat Ki Tavo

Ki Tavo is arriving very soon. It will be read on 16 Elul 5786 on the Hebrew calendar, and offers profound, timeless lessons on the destructive nature of unbridled rhetoric. This theme directly intercept the ongoing, hostile "war of words" between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the tensions between nuclear powers that could trigger a catastrophe that the world has not experienced since the extinction of the dinosaurs.

The text of Ki Tavo highlights the dangers of the ultimate futility of hubris. Words are not just fleeting geopolitical tools; they carry weight, shape reality, and have long-term consequences. The parashah should serve as an inflection point. Leaders are never permanently locked into cycles of conflict. Every day provides a fresh baseline to pivot away from toxic-driven brinkmanship and choose rhetoric that de-escalated regional instability.

Our Sages note that the choice to act with integrity, choose life, and pursue peace is always (i) immediate and (ii) urgent. Prosperity, security, and victory over adversaries are not guaranteed by war, but by a society's ethical behavior, and adherence to Justice.