Netanyahu’s hexagon of alliances may remain a dream

After months of dropping hints in the media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week finally laid out his “vision” for a “hexagon of alliances” — six alliances with various permutations but with Israel at their center. He said that this hexagon would be directed at “the radical Shiite axis” and “the emerging radical Sunni axis.”
In remarks delivered on Feb. 22, he said: “We will create an entire system, essentially a ‘hexagon’ of alliances around or within the Middle East. This includes India, Arab nations, African nations, Mediterranean nations (Greece and Cyprus), and nations in Asia that I won't detail at the moment.” He added: “The intention here is to create an axis of nations that see eye-to-eye on the reality, challenges and goals against the radical axes, both the radical Shiite axis, which we have struck very hard, and the emerging radical Sunni axis.”
Netanyahu focused on the “special relationship” between Israel and India and between himself and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying: “We are personal friends; we speak frequently on the phone and visit one another.” He added: “The fabric of this relationship has grown tighter and he is coming here so we can tighten it further through a series of decisions related to strengthening cooperation between our governments and countries. This includes economic, diplomatic and security cooperation.”
During his visit to Israel last week, Modi was effusive in his praise of Tel Aviv and Netanyahu, but there was no mention of any alliance. He said: “India stands with Israel, firmly, with full conviction, in this moment and beyond,” in the context of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. He spoke several times about fighting terrorism and defense and security cooperation, but there was no reference to the security architecture Netanyahu had talked about.
Concerned that his remarks may be seen as abandoning India’s long history of support for the Palestinians, Modi said that “the Gaza peace initiative that was endorsed by the UN Security Council offers a pathway. India has expressed its firm support for the initiative. We believe that it holds the promise of a just and durable peace for all the people of the region, including by addressing the Palestine issue.” However, Modi did not meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during this visit, unlike on his previous visit.
India-Israel defense cooperation has been ongoing for decades, mostly shrouded in secrecy, but Modi made it public. He became the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel in 2017. Israel is now the third-largest source of military hardware for India, after Russia and France. India accounted for 34 percent of Israeli military exports during 2020-2024, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. In addition to India’s military imports from Israel, the two countries share intelligence and have joint production agreements and close cooperation on missile and drone technologies, cybersecurity and surveillance equipment.
Greece and Cyprus were the two other countries named by Netanyahu. They have in recent years coordinated closely with Israel on economic cooperation, defense and security, including counterterrorism and intelligence sharing. In 2016, they held their first trilateral summit and last year they held their 10th in Jerusalem. Earlier this year, they signed a trilateral military cooperation plan. As in the case with India, the US has strongly supported this trilateral cooperation. 

By appearing to be part of a large network of alliances, Netanyahu hopes to blunt censure for his attacks on Iran.

Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg

Despite these growing security ties, Greece and Cyprus have consistently supported the Palestinians, including their support for an independent Palestinian state. Cyprus recognized Palestine as a state back in 1988 and Greece is considering doing so.
So, these security arrangements with India, Cyprus and Greece have been ongoing for some time, albeit not stressed or highlighted. However, it is not clear why Netanyahu chose to make them public and upgrade them to a formal mutual defense system as part of his vision of a regional web of alliances.
One reason for speaking about this new web of regional alliances now is likely an attempt to get out of the isolation Israel feels as a result of the war against Gaza. By giving the impression that Israel is at the heart of these alliances, Netanyahu hopes to reduce the siege mentality that the country feels and for which he is largely blamed. Another reason could be that a general election is expected to take place this year and Netanyahu hopes to improve his and his party’s standing in the polls.
By appearing to be part of a large network of alliances, Netanyahu hopes to blunt censure for his attacks on Iran, which he is determined to continue. This network may also be a hedging strategy. Israel’s declining popularity in the US could cause strains in their relations in the future. Due to public pressure, the Trump administration has rejected some of Israel’s extreme policies, such as the forced expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and annexation of the West Bank. Future administration may be even less accommodating.
Finally, the trade argument. Israel is facing a mounting trade deficit, which grew to $29 billion last year, despite the striking of major deals during 2025, such as the $35 billion, 15-year natural gas deal with Egypt, the $32 billion acquisition of Israeli firm Wiz by Google, and a $6.5 billion defense contract with Germany.
Israel’s trade with the three countries Netanyahu mentioned is quite limited. Last year, two-way India-Israel trade stood at $3.6 billion, down from $10 billion in 2023. Israel’s trade with Greece and Cyprus is miniscule, at $1.3 and $1 billion, respectively.
But the fundamental problem with Netanyahu’s hexagon is that there does not seem to be much willingness to support it publicly because of the potential reputational damage that comes from an alliance with Israel — a rogue state that has become a pariah among nations, with declining popularity even among its closest friends due to its policies against the Palestinians. The fact that Netanyahu framed this new web of alliances as being directed against Muslims may also discourage many states from joining it.
There is massive potential economic loss should these countries form an alliance with Israel. Take India, for example. Its trade with Israel, currently at $3.6 billion, pales compared to its trade with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Trade with the GCC, India’s top trading partner, ahead of the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, reached $178 billion last year and is growing fast.
There is finally the potential legal entanglement if these countries join a formal alliance with Israel, which is accused of committing genocide in a case before the International Court of Justice, and its prime minister, who is being sought by the International Criminal Court. According to international humanitarian law, members of a formal military alliance could be held jointly accountable for actions taken by any member of the group.
So, Netanyahu’s hexagon of alliances may remain just a dream, at least for the foreseeable future.

• Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the GCC assistant secretary-general for political affairs and negotiation. The views expressed here are personal and do not necessarily represent those of the GCC.
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