This week, US President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss a variety of topics. The warm friendship the two leaders have was once again on display, and continues to be that under President Trump, America has Israel’s back.
However, while there were many positives from their meeting, there is a concern that President Trump has a potential blind spot when it comes to Turkey.
When a reporter asked a question of Turkey and its influence on Syria, President Trump replied, saying that he has “great relations” with President Recep Erdoğan.
“I happen to like him, and he likes me,” Trump said. “We’ve never had a problem.”
Trump praised Erdogan as being a “tough guy” and “very smart,” especially in the way Erdogan has seemingly gained control and influence over Syria since the fall of Assad.
President Trump believes that he can work out any problems between Israel and Turkey. “Any problem that you have with Turkey, I think I can solve…”
However, President Trump may not realise exactly what Erdogan thinks of Israel because what he said immediately after was:
“… I mean, as long as your reasonable, you have to be reasonable,” Trump said, pointing directly at Netanyahu.
Israel has to be reasonable with evil?
One week before this meeting, President Erdogan delivered a prayer to mark the end of Ramadan, where he said: “May Allah, for the sake of his name … destroy and devastate Zionist Israel.”
Erdogan also prayed “May Allah damn Zionist Israel” and for “mercy upon the martyrs” of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and a “speedy recovery” for their wounded terrorists.
These anti-Israel lines are not new. Erdogan has long spoken of the need for Islamic countries to rally together against Israel. “The only step that will stop Israeli arrogance, Israeli banditry, and Israeli state terrorism is the alliance of Islamic countries,” Erdogan said in September 2024. This closely aligns with Erdogan’s political party’s advocacy for an “Army of Islam” which they have been discussing for over a decade: “What if an Army of Islam was formed against Israel?”
Erdogan dreams of a new Ottoman Empire, in which modern day Turkey would reclaim the lands lost by the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Those lands include Israel and Jerusalem, which the Ottomans occupied for over 400 years.
Turkey has, for decades, hosted Hamas terrorists, killed Kurdish allies, and grown ever closer to Moscow and Beijing. It has done all of this while the Western world has turned a blind eye to its problematic actions, showing that it is not only Trump who has a blind spot, but much of the Western world who continue to rub shoulders with someone who seeks their (and Israel’s) destruction.
Never had a problem?
President Trump may also have forgotten some of the times when he and Erdogan have not seen eye to eye.
Following President Trump’s important decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December 2017, Erdoğan condemned the move, stating, “Jerusalem is a red line for Muslims.”
Erdogan claimed that “Jerusalem is our city” and said that Turkey could not be bought with dollars. He even called upon Muslim nations to counter Trump’s recognition by instead recognise Jerusalem as the capital of “Palestine”.
More recently, Erdogan labelled Trump’s Gaza plan a “major threat to world peace” and accused the US of exacerbating conflicts by listening to “Zionist lies.”
Erdogan cannot be trusted
President Erdogan is, as President Trump has noted, “smart,” but Erdogan is dangerous.
Whilst we respect President Trump’s offer to mediate the dispute between Israel and Turkey, we should not forget why that dispute exists.
Erdogan’s hostility toward Israel is rooted in his Islamist ideology. Like Hamas and many other Islamist groups, he believes that the path to ushering in the ‘Last Day’—Islam’s end-times scenario—requires Muslims to wage war against the Jews (e.g. Sahih Muslim 2922a).
Under President Erdogan, Turkey is not an ally of the US or Europe, it is not even a true democracy, and it is certainly not Israel’s equal at the negotiating table.
To mediate between Ankara and Jerusalem is laudable, but it has to be done with clear understanding of what Erdogan believes.
Israel understands Erdogan’s hatred
The West often likes to tell Israel what it should do when handling those who seek the destruction of Israel. Israel on the other hand, does what needs to be done to defend itself.
The West, including the US, would be wise to listen to Israel when it comes to Erdogan. Israel has long dealt with hostile neighbours and terrorist organisations, including Hamas, which operates under Turkey’s protection.
Israel has dealt with Turkey for years, experiencing firsthand the shift in Erdogan’s policies from a secular ally to a key supporter of Islamic extremism. As a result, Israel is deeply aware of the risks Turkey poses, not only in terms of its support for terrorism but also its geopolitical ambitions and understands the true intentions behind Erdogan’s rhetoric and actions.
Christians must pray for President Trump
Turkey is just one of the many players in the wars against Israel. When it comes to other enemies, such as Hamas, it seems President Trump is fully aware of their evil. He said at the press conference that Hamas was full of hatred, he spoke compassionately about the hostages in Israel, and President Trump understands the just war Israel is waging against Hamas.
If President Trump can understand this with Hamas, then he can easily understand it with Turkey.
Let’s pray his eyes are opened, that those around him will offer sound advice when it comes to Turkey, and that Israel’s leaders will have wisdom when dealing with this topic.
Ultimately, God is the defender of Israel. And while we hope that the US will stand with Israel in this, it is more for the sake of the US than for Israel—because God will bless those who bless Israel.
Erdogan is cursing Israel, and one day God Almighty will judge him for it. We must stand against evil and with God in all of these issues.
