Despite all the developments, conflicts, and events taking place in the Middle East, we must not allow them to distract us from monitoring other events that may seem geographically distant yet have a direct impact on the issues and security of our region.
First among these is the mounting political tension between Turkey and Israel, and the intense barrage of media and political statements being exchanged between Tel Aviv and Ankara.
Erdoğan's statements last week about the dangers Israel poses to the region and the world, and his outright rejection of its policies — particularly its stance on Hamas in Gaza, its military strikes, its security incursions, and its occupation of Syrian territory — reflect Turkey's deep anger at those policies.
It is worth noting that Turkey regards "Syria of Al-Shara'" as an allied state and a friendly regime operating under Turkish guardianship or sponsorship.
On the other side, Netanyahu declared in a television interview the day before yesterday that "Turkey poses a danger to Israel," adding that Erdoğan must understand that "the Ottoman caliphate and its guardianship over the region ended 400 years ago, and that the region now has a powerful, influential state with a strong army and an independent government — called Israel" — in his own words.
Elsewhere, there is a dangerous escalation in Europe that portends grave risk between Russia and the European countries on its periphery, specifically Ukraine, Finland, and Poland.
The war of statements is intensifying, particularly after Finland announced that it was lifting the self-imposed ban it had placed on itself against participating in any military preparations related to countering nuclear war.
Putin expressed anger and concern over Finland's move, declaring that "Moscow will study this position seriously and will address its consequences as quickly as possible."
Finally, the European Union is moving to increase its financial and military support for Ukraine, in yet another new and escalatory step against Putin.
The world finds no respite from crises and is heading toward further military escalation and economic tension in an era dominated by uncertainty.