Turkey has blocked Israel from participating in the annual “resilience and emergency preparedness” military drill of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Israeli media reports.
Turkey’s action followed a meeting around two weeks ago between NATO’s coordinating team for the drill, Bulgaria’s delegation to the organization, and Israeli diplomats, during which NATO representatives expressed solid support for Israeli participation.
But Turkey is a self-declared enemy of the Jewish State, preferring instead to champion the Muslim Brotherhood-spawned Hamas terrorist organization and the terror-supporting Palestinian Authority.
Although most of NATO’s 32 member states strongly favor Israeli participation in the organization’s activities, NATO decisions require unanimous agreement.
“Turkey’s position undermines regional cooperation and NATO’s ability to address global challenges,” said an Israeli official quoted by Ynet.
“Instead of promoting unity and collective security, Turkey is wielding its veto in a way that harms strategic partnerships. Blocking Israel’s cooperation with NATO does not contribute to stability; rather, it undermines the alliance’s core values.”
Since the start of the October 7, 2023 Hamas war against Israel, Turkey has consistently vetoed all NATO interactions — including joint exercises and meetings — with the Jewish State.
Israel currently holds observer status in NATO.
