Yoel Guzansky, Gallia Lindenstrauss
Political and security relations between Greece and Cyprus on the one hand and the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on the other have taken a major step forward over the past year. Political meetings, security agreements, and joint military exercises hint at the possible emergence of a new regional alignment. Underlying this convergence is an effort to thwart Ankara’s regional ambitions by linking the Gulf to the Eastern Mediterranean, although this step is liable to exacerbate the existing tension in these theaters. It is possible that Israel’s partners in the Gulf would like to see more active involvement from Israel in countering Ankara. Although Israel has an interest in restraining Turkey’s activity in the region, the informal character of the Hellenic-Gulf alignment makes it easy for Jerusalem to keep a low profile and avoid increasing tension with Ankara.
