Trump Confronts Middle East Challenge Amid Netanyahu’s Rejection of Erdogan’s Gaza Troop Proposal

President Donald Trump finds himself at a critical crossroads that could shape the trajectory of his administration’s Middle East strategy. The question at hand is whether to permit Turkish military presence in Gaza as a component of a U.S.-endorsed stabilization force. This proposition, strongly advocated by Ankara, has sparked significant concern among Israel and several Arab allies, who view Turkey’s regional ambitions and Islamist affiliations as potential threats to stability.

In a move reported by Middle East Eye, Turkey is gearing up to deploy a brigade comprising at least 2,000 soldiers from various military branches. This contingent is poised to join the mission pending approval from the U.N. Security Council. However, Israel has categorically dismissed the idea. “There will be no Turkish boots on the ground,” an Israeli government spokesperson asserted to reporters, reflecting the country’s firm stance.

President Trump has consistently expressed admiration for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, referring to him as “a very strong leader.” This expression of confidence hints at a possible prioritization of personal diplomacy, which may challenge the established concerns of Israel. The decision at hand will test Washington’s diplomatic dexterity in balancing its steadfast ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with a NATO member that has historically hosted Hamas leaders and acted as their advocate.

Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, emphasizes the necessity for Trump to acknowledge the substantial ideological rift that exists between Israel and Erdogan’s administration.

“Trump is an economic warrior and a dealmaker. He wants to put everyone in his Middle East regional deal by embracing enemies and allies alike,” Diker said. “But he doesn’t take into account the profoundly deep-rooted enmity that Erdogan’s government embodies. Turkey is not a friend of the United States and the Western alliance, even though it’s a NATO member. It is currently on a mission to assert itself as an Islamic imperial power in the Middle East.”

Diker warned that Erdogan’s ambitions, combined with his support for Hamas, pose a direct challenge to both Israel and NATO. “You want to talk about an occupier? They’re the major occupiers of Syria right now, and they see themselves as the determining Islamic power in Gaza. This is a very dangerous moment, and the president would be well advised to back Israel without conditions,” he said.

He warned Erdogan is “publicly supporting and financing an international Islamic terror organization.” Diker said NATO “must not allow” this and that Trump “cannot allow himself to compromise the principles of America first, which is Israel first and the West first.”

The reported preparations come as Trump has described Erdogan as “highly respected” and “a very strong leader,” signaling renewed trust between Washington and Ankara and raising concerns inside Israel about Turkey’s growing influence. In recent months, Erdogan has intensified his rhetoric against Israel while positioning himself as the indispensable power for Gaza’s reconstruction and future governance.

For Israeli officials and analysts, Turkey’s intentions extend far beyond humanitarian assistance. Former Israeli National Security Adviser Yaakov Amidror said the prospect of Turkish troops entering Gaza is unacceptable. “I am not at all sure Turkish forces will enter, and if they do, it will be very bad. I think Israel must stand firmly on its feet to prevent Turkish forces from entering,” he told Fox News Digital.

Amidror said Turkey’s ambitions are incompatible with Israeli security needs. “Turkey is a power with a desire to expand its borders and its influence into areas that are relevant to us, and therefore we must not accept a Turkish army in Gaza.”

He added that Israel must retain operational freedom inside Gaza even after the war. “Israel must not give up Israeli freedom of action, like in Lebanon. The moment Hamas rebuilds itself, we will act as we do in Lebanon.”

Israel’s concern is rooted in years of tensions with Ankara, including Erdoğan’s support for Hamas, his political embrace of the Muslim Brotherhood, and clashes over Syria, where Ankara opposed Israeli and Western-backed Kurdish forces and backed Islamist militias that Israel viewed as destabilizing. The bilateral relationship has been marked by repeated diplomatic crises and years of heated personal exchanges between Erdogan and Netanyahu.

Gonul Tol, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and author of “Erdogan’s War: A Strongman’s Struggle at Home and in Syria,” said Turkey’s aggressive Gaza posture is deeply tied to Erdogan’s domestic political survival and his long-standing support for Islamist movements across the region.

“The primary goal there is domestic politics,” she said. “Erdogan has always framed himself as the champion of the Palestinian cause, and by his most conservative constituency, he’s often pushed to take a strong stance against Israel.”

Tol said Erdogan hardened his tone after suffering major losses in Turkey’s 2024 municipal elections. “His party lost all major cities to the opposition, and one of the lessons that Erdogan had drawn from that loss was that he thought he did not do a good job in terms of Gaza to his constituency.”

Competing Islamist parties used Gaza to attack him politically. “They criticized Erdogan on the campaign trail saying that Erdogan says all these things, but when it comes to taking steps that would punish Israel, Erdogan didn’t do much.”

But Tol noted that Erdogan has also been pragmatic behind the scenes, particularly in his dealings with Washington. “People in his circle say the Hamas leadership had been asked to leave Turkey quietly. They are doing everything not to anger the Trump administration,” she said. She added that Erdogan even pushed Hamas to accept Trump’s Gaza proposal, noting that it included provisions that did not favor the organization.

Yet Erdogan’s ideological track record fuels regional suspicion. For years, Turkey openly backed Muslim Brotherhood from Libya to Syria to Egypt. “There is this Arab uprising package that Turkey carries around,” Tol explained. “Turkey supported, logistically and militarily, Muslim Brotherhood groups opposing those regimes.” This history, she said, casts doubt on Ankara’s intentions in Gaza in the eyes of Arab partners such as Egypt and Saudi.

Galia Lindenstrauss, senior researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, said Turkey’s ideology and political goals clash with the aims of Israel. “Turkey has a very pro-Palestinian stance. And not only that, it has a pro-Hamas stance. It wants Hamas to remain a relevant actor in the day after,” she said.

She also pointed to actions that erode trust, including Ankara’s 2024 trade restrictions on Israel and arrest warrants issued for dozens of Israeli officials. She said Turkey continues meeting Hamas leaders publicly, showing “no sign of any change in the Turkish stance.”

The combination of Islamist sympathies, political ambition and hardening anti-Israel rhetoric “raises suspicion that any Turkish action is not sincere in the attempt to weaken Hamas,” she said.

The United States is now navigating the power struggle. According to a State Department readout on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss “the ceasefire in Gaza and next steps to ensure stability in the region.” The meeting highlighted close coordination with Ankara even as Washington has not decided whether to include Turkish troops.

Tol said the outcome “will all come down to how strongly President Trump is willing to push all parties to accept” or reject Turkey’s participation. Lindenstrauss added that Ankara expects Trump to resolve disputes with Israel over Gaza and in Syria that it cannot solve alone.

Requests for comment from the Turkish Embassy spokesperson in Washington, D.C., were not returned.