Hakan Fidan's anti-Israel rhetoric: Propaganda dressed as diplomacy

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has once again chosen distortion over facts. In comments delivered Thursday in Ankara, he accused Israel of pursuing an “expansionist policy” and waging a “dirty war” in Lebanon.

Such claims are not only inaccurate; they border on the absurd.

Israel’s actions in Lebanon are a direct response to relentless attacks by Hezbollah, a heavily armed militia funded, trained, and directed by the Iranian regime. Rockets, missiles, and drones launched from Lebanese territory toward Israeli cities are not imaginary threats. They are acts of war.

To pretend that Israel is somehow the aggressor while ignoring Hezbollah’s constant provocations is not diplomacy. It is propaganda.

Echoing the Rhetoric of Authoritarian Regimes

The accusation that Israel seeks territorial expansion has long been a staple of the political rhetoric promoted by some of the region’s most authoritarian and destabilizing actors.

By repeating this narrative, Hakan Fidan aligns himself with the talking points of regimes and movements that have spent decades demonizing Israel while refusing to confront the real sources of instability in the Middle East.

Israel left southern Lebanon in 2000 in full compliance with international resolutions. Since then, the border has been repeatedly destabilized by Hezbollah’s militarization and its role as Iran’s most powerful regional proxy.

Ignoring this reality is either intellectual dishonesty or deliberate political manipulation.

A Lesson in Geopolitics Might Be Useful

Before accusing others of destabilizing the region, Hakan Fidan might benefit from a basic lesson in geopolitics.

The Middle East is not on the brink of chaos because of Israeli expansionism — a myth repeated so often it has become a convenient slogan. The region’s instability stems from militias, proxy wars, and authoritarian regimes that use anti-Israel rhetoric to mask their own failures.

Hezbollah is one of those instruments of destabilization. Its existence as a state-within-a-state has long undermined Lebanon’s sovereignty and pushed the country deeper into crisis.

Turkey’s Own Democratic Problems

The irony of such lectures coming from Ankara is difficult to ignore.

Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has faced persistent criticism from international observers for the erosion of democratic norms, pressure on the media, and the imprisonment of political opponents.For officials of such a government to adopt a moralizing tone toward Israel is, at best, hypocritical.

A Dangerous Narrative

Statements like those made by Hakan Fidan do not help Lebanon, nor do they contribute to peace or stability in the region.

They simply reinforce a dangerous narrative — one that excuses armed proxies of Iran while condemning a state defending itself against attacks.

If the Lebanese state risks collapse, the responsibility lies first and foremost with those who turned its territory into a launching pad for Iran’s regional ambitions.

Blaming Israel for responding to that reality is not serious diplomacy. It is political theater.