Israeli Arms Deals Anchor New Regional Alliances — SkimNews
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- Israel announced a $3.5 billion defense deal with Greece providing David's Sling missiles (range up to 186 miles), Barak MX systems, and air surveillance radars to build a multilayered shield against aircraft, drones, cruise and ballistic missiles, and precision-guided weapons.
- Cyprus Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas publicly tied the Greece-Israel air defense network to countering Turkey, while Greece's official statement avoided naming the fellow NATO member; Greek F-16s were scrambled last month after a Turkish drone entered Greek airspace.
- India deployed jointly developed Israeli equipment, including the Barak 8 surface-to-air missile system produced by India's DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries, during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May 2025, with Netanyahu saying the Israeli gear "worked very well."
- The UAE has deepened its reliance on Israeli air defense after the U.S. burned through roughly half its Patriot and THAAD missile interceptors; Israel previously rushed Iron Dome batteries and military operators to the Emirates during Iranian attacks involving more than 500 ballistic missiles and 2,000 drones.
- Netanyahu described a planned "hexagonal" alliance of Israel, Cyprus, Greece, India, and two unnamed Arab and African states—presumably including the UAE—framed against what he called "radical Shiite" (Iran) and "radical Sunni" (Qatar, Syria, Turkey) axes.
- The proposed India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which would route trade from India through the UAE and Israel to Greece while bypassing Turkey, remains in limbo without confirmed Saudi participation.
Why it matters: The $3.5 billion Greece deal reframes Israel's diplomatic standing: with the U.S. stretched thin on missile interceptors and Turkey's rise worrying Athens, Nicosia, and Abu Dhabi alike, Israeli hardware is converting growing isolation into alliance-building leverage that gives Netanyahu a pre-election win against rival Gadi Eisenkot.
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