Trump envoy: Israel may have baited Turkey into clash that could ‘play well’ in election

Tom Barrack, Donald Trump's envoy to Syria and former ambassador to Turkey, suggested in an interview with Mario Nawfal that Israel's recent strike in Syria may have been intended to provoke a Turkish military response. Barrack described this as a theory, noting that such an aggressive move could potentially 'play well' for Israel heading into elections. He referenced Turkey's 2015 downing of a Russian warplane as an example of how election periods can lead to 'irrational judgment.' Barrack stated that U.S. intelligence assessments contradicted Israel's claim that Turkish forces were preparing to move into the targeted airfield, concluding that no such movement was occurring. These comments come amid a sharp deterioration in Israel-Turkey relations. On Friday, Turkey's Justice Ministry announced it had requested that Interpol issue a Red Notice for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity related to the Gaza flotilla affair. In response, Israeli public diplomacy spokesman Doron Spielman released a video defending the operation in Syria as a measure to prevent Turkish military entrenchment. Spielman claimed that Turkey controls approximately 5% of Syrian territory, contrasting this with Israel's limited presence in the south of the country.