Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, has announced the formation of a ‘Hexagonal Alliance’ that includes India, positioning it as a coalition of nations standing together against radical forces.
This assertion from Netanyahu comes ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the occupied territories this week, where he is expected to address the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
Netanyahu opened the cabinet meeting with remarks about the historical visit set for Wednesday, stating, ‘My dear friend, the Prime Minister of India, will arrive in Israel.’He informed his cabinet that the Hexagonal Alliance would consist of Israel, India, Greece, and Cyprus, along with other unnamed Arab, African, and Asian nations.
He claimed, ‘The goal here is to create a hub of nations that see reality, challenges, and objectives similarly in the face of radical axes.’
As Modi embarks on his two-day visit on March 6, Netanyahu aims to strengthen ties with countries he describes as ‘like-minded.’During the cabinet session, Netanyahu referred to India as part of the future ‘axis’ of like-minded countries.
He asserted, ‘Our cooperation can yield significant results and, of course, secure our resistance and future.’ According to a statement from Netanyahu released by Israel’s Foreign Ministry on February 22, it is claimed that Arab, African, and Asian countries will also be part of this framework.Netanyahu elaborated, ‘In the vision I see before us, we will create a complete system, essentially a ‘hexagon’ of alliances around or within the Middle East; this includes India, Arab countries, African nations, Mediterranean countries (Greece and Cyprus), and Asian countries, the details of which I will not disclose at this time; I will present this in an organized manner.’
However, no government has publicly endorsed this plan or its sectarian framework; two of the three countries Netanyahu mentioned—Greece and Cyprus—are members of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu due to war crimes in Gaza, and they would be legally obligated to detain him upon his arrival.Andreas Krieg, a security studies lecturer at King’s College London, told Al Jazeera that the Israeli Prime Minister might be overstating his idea; the unnamed Arab/African/Asian component may exist in the form of temporary security coordination and transactional diplomacy but does not necessarily resemble a treaty akin to NATO. ‘This is not an alliance,’ he said.He added ‘I see the ‘hexagon’ less as a viable alliance and more as a branding exercise for an array of existing relationships.’
Omer Ozkizilcik a non-resident researcher at the Atlantic Council noted that we are witnessing increasing joint efforts from regional countries against Israel including joint statements collaborative diplomatic efforts military interactions and exploring potential joint defense ventures.
