ATLANTIC COUNCIL
The Middle East’s shifting balance of power favors Turkey and Israel
Frederick Kempe
December 21, 2024

It’s hard to predict where the Middle East’s ongoing seismic shifts will leave the region following the collapse of the Syrian regime. What’s already clear, however, is that Israel and Turkey are the big winners, having gained in ways that were unimaginable even a few weeks ago. The Wall Street Journal’s Yaroslav Trofimov writes that now those two US allies, whose relations have grown far worse since the war in Gaza began last year, are set on “a collision course” in Syria and beyond.  Assessing what Israel hopes to get out of the dramatic geopolitical realignment of the Middle East isn’t hard, as its national interests are well known and existential in nature. Its decisions are driven by its need for security, by its desire to maintain military and technological superiority, and by its enduring need to deter, contain, and counter Iran and its proxies. READ MORE