Netanyahu Faces New Regional Challenge as Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan Sign Defence Pact

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is weighing the implications of a new defence agreement between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, as Israel prepares for a general election in October.

The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defence Pact on Friday, establishing that an armed attack against any one of them would be considered an attack against all three.

The agreement has attracted significant attention in Israel because of Türkiye’s increasingly hostile stance towards the Israeli government and Saudi Arabia’s growing reluctance to normalise relations with Israel.

Türkiye has strongly criticised Israel’s military operations in Gaza and has repeatedly warned that Israeli actions in Syria and Lebanon could pose a direct threat to Turkish security. Israeli officials, meanwhile, have increasingly described Ankara as a potential strategic rival.

Pakistan, which does not recognise Israel, has also criticised Israeli military actions in the region.

Saudi Arabia’s participation is particularly significant because Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have previously pushed for Riyadh to join the Abraham Accords and establish formal relations with Israel. However, Saudi Arabia has kept its distance from the normalisation process since the Gaza war began in 2023.

Analysts say the new alliance may not be aimed exclusively at Israel. Growing concerns about Iran, regional instability and uncertainty over the reliability of US security guarantees are also believed to have influenced the agreement.

According to security analysts, Riyadh is seeking greater strategic independence and additional security partnerships after experiencing repeated regional tensions and attacks.

The pact could nevertheless become an important issue in Israel’s upcoming election campaign. Netanyahu has increasingly portrayed Türkiye as a major emerging threat, while his political opponents may use the agreement to accuse his government of failing to prevent the formation of a powerful regional bloc.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett previously described Türkiye as “the new Iran” and warned about the possibility of a hostile alliance involving Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan.

With Israel’s election approaching, the new Saudi-Türkiye-Pakistan defence pact is expected to feature prominently in political and security debates over the coming months.

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