Tom Barrack Calls Israel, Hezbollah Untrustworthy
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- Tom Barrack made the comment at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum that Israel and Hezbollah are “equally untrustworthy,” and that Turkey is “not a country to be messed with.”
- Israeli observers took umbrage at Barrack’s remarks, viewing him as too close to Ankara and Damascus and acting against U.S. interests.
- Turkish observers praised his stance on regional issues but also criticized him for overstepping, calling him a “colonial governor” and questioning his remarks on the Ottoman millet system and Halki Seminary.
- President Trump appointed Barrack as ambassador to Turkey in May 2025 and as Special Envoy for Syria, leveraging their longtime friendship and Barrack’s Ottoman‑era Lebanon roots.
- Ankara welcomed Barrack’s framing of the Syrian Democratic Forces as “the YPG, an offshoot of the PKK” and his statement that the United States does not owe the Kurds an independent country.
- Erdogan has not targeted Barrack despite past criticism of U.S. ambassadors, indicating Ankara still sees him as a useful partner in the Trump‑Erdogan “bromance.”
- Pro‑Israel groups such as the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the Wall Street Journal editorial board, and senators Lindsey Graham and Rick Scott have criticized Barrack as undermining U.S. policy and acting pro‑Ankara.
Why it matters: Israel loses a diplomatic ally as Barrack’s pro‑Ankara statements strain U.S.-Israel coordination, while Turkey gains a high‑level conduit to Washington, reinforcing Ankara’s leverage in Syria and the broader regional power play. The episode also underscores Trump’s reliance on personal ties over traditional diplomacy, potentially reshaping U.S. engagement in the Middle East.
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