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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is seeking to establish a new alliance axis in the Mediterranean and the Middle East against what he described as hostile actors.
Speaking ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said the planned alliance would include India, certain Arab and African countries, Greece, the Greek Cypriot administration and several Asian countries whose names he did not disclose.
“In the vision I see before me, we will essentially form a ‘hexagon alliance system’ around or within the Middle East,” Netanyahu said, adding that details would be announced in an orderly manner.
He said the aim was to create an axis of countries that share similar views regarding challenges and objectives.
“This axis stands against the radical Shiite axis that we have struck very hard, as well as the emerging radical Sunni axis,” he said.
Netanyahu said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would pay an official visit to Israel on Wednesday, Feb. 25, describing the visit as an opportunity to further strengthen economic, diplomatic and security cooperation.
He also highlighted plans to advance cooperation in high technology, artificial intelligence and quantum fields.
Referring to his ties with Modi, Netanyahu said they are personal friends who speak frequently by phone and visit each other’s countries. He noted that he had visited India and Modi had visited Israel, saying they had “walked together in the waters of the Mediterranean.”
Netanyahu also addressed Israel’s relationship with the United States, saying there is a “unique and, in my view, historic alliance” both at the state level and through his personal relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump.
“This alliance does not mean we are not seeking other alliances; on the contrary, we are constantly developing them,” he said.
He added that cooperation among the countries included in the envisioned alliance could produce significant results and help ensure resilience and secure the future.
Netanyahu said the purpose of the planned alliance system was to stand against the radical Shiite axis and the emerging radical Sunni axis, and that the countries involved share a different perspective that could strengthen cooperation.
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