On Friday, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and nuclear-armed Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Pact, a move some analysts view as a challenge to Israeli regional expansionism. Israel has yet to officially respond to the agreement.

Turkiye, considered by some as Israel’s next strategic rival, joined the pact alongside Saudi Arabia, with whom Israel has sought to normalize relations, and Pakistan. The pact was signed in Mecca amid ongoing regional turmoil.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently described Israel as a “burden that humanity can no longer bear,” comments that Israeli politicians, including Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, condemned as a “textbook incitement to genocide.” Meanwhile, Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated in June that Israeli military actions in Syria and Lebanon pose a direct threat to Ankara, emphasizing that Turkiye’s security concerns extend beyond its southern province of Hatay to include Aleppo, Damascus, and Beirut.

Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at King’s College London’s School of Security Studies, told Al Jazeera that the ongoing conflict has led Riyadh to an “uncomfortable conclusion” that while American military power remains essential, a relationship with the US does not guarantee immunity from attacks or ensure that Washington will act in line with Saudi priorities.

Ahead of Israel’s general election, analysts at Haaretz suggest that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might be leveraging Turkiye as a strategic rival to strengthen his security credentials. Recent polls show Netanyahu in a close race with his opponent Gadi Eizenkot.

The implications of the Mecca defence pact for the US role in the Middle East and the broader regional order remain uncertain.

Sources