JERUSALEM (Realist English). Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has unveiled a vision for a new regional alignment, describing the Middle East as divided between “radical” Sunni and Shia axes and proposing what he called a “hexagon of alliances” centered around Israel.
Speaking on Sunday, Netanyahu said the envisioned bloc would include Israel, India, Greece and Cyprus, alongside additional unnamed Arab, African and Asian countries. The grouping, he argued, would coordinate against what he termed “radical” forces in the region.
“In the vision I see before me, we will create an entire system, essentially a ‘hexagon’ of alliances around or within the Middle East,” Netanyahu said. He referred to confronting both what he described as a “radical Shia axis” — an apparent reference to Iran and its allies — and an “emerging radical Sunni axis.”
No government has publicly endorsed the plan or its sectarian framing. Greece and Cyprus, both mentioned by Netanyahu, are members of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu related to alleged war crimes in Gaza. As ICC members, they would be legally obligated to act on the warrant should he enter their territory.
Security analysts caution that the proposed bloc appears more conceptual than institutional. Andreas Krieg of King’s College London described it as less a formal alliance and more a branding effort built around existing bilateral ties and limited security coordination. “It is not a NATO-style pact,” he noted.
Netanyahu’s reference to “radical axes” echoes longstanding Israeli rhetoric about Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance,” which includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, allied armed groups in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. Israel has intensified operations against Iran-linked actors in recent years, including high-profile strikes in Lebanon and Syria.
The notion of an organized “Sunni axis,” however, is disputed. While several Sunni-majority states have coordinated diplomatically in response to Israel’s actions in Gaza and Syria, analysts describe this as pragmatic geopolitical coordination rather than ideological bloc formation.
Netanyahu’s remarks come ahead of a planned visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel. Modi has emphasized strong bilateral ties in technology, defense and trade, but India traditionally avoids rigid alliance structures and maintains broad relationships across the Gulf, including with Iran and Saudi Arabia.
In the Eastern Mediterranean, Israel has expanded security and energy cooperation with Greece and Cyprus since 2016. Greece has purchased Israeli defense systems and discussions continue over broader military packages. However, both Athens and Nicosia also seek to manage relations with Turkey, complicating alignment within a broader Middle East security framework.
The proposal emerges at a sensitive domestic moment for Netanyahu, who faces ongoing legal proceedings in Israel and political pressure over judicial reforms and military service policies. Analysts suggest the “hexagon” initiative may serve to project diplomatic momentum and counter perceptions of Israeli isolation following the Gaza war.
Whether the concept evolves into a structured coalition remains unclear. For now, the idea underscores Israel’s search for strategic partnerships amid shifting regional dynamics and intensifying geopolitical polarization.
