Fidan says US influence on Israeli policy weaker than widely believed

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said U.S. influence over Israel’s policy is often overstated.

In an interview with Egypt’s “MBC Masr” channel, Fidan said Turkey would continue to oppose attempts to annex the West Bank and work for the establishment of a Palestinian state, which he described as essential for regional peace.

He said Israel had turned expansion into a permanent policy and that regional states together with the international community must act. Israel, he argued, draws strength from the political and economic weakness of its neighbors and views a vision of regional development and prosperity as a threat.

Responding to a question about the role of U.S.-Turkey relations in the Gaza conflict, Fidan said President Tayyip Erdogan had devoted much of his diplomatic effort to halting the war. “Recent events showed that U.S. influence on Israel’s policies is not as strong as many think,” he added.