What’s Netanyahu’s planned ‘hexagon’ alliance – and can it work?

Analysts call PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s alliance pitch a ‘fantasy world’ as Israel faces growing international isolation.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has outlined plans to form a new regional bloc, and has framed the Middle East as divided into “radical” Sunni and Shia axes.

Speaking on Sunday, Netanyahu described a proposed “hexagon of alliances” which he says would include Israel, India, Greece and Cyprus, along with other unnamed Arab, African and Asian states. He said together, they would unite to collectively stand against what he called “radical” adversaries.

“In the vision I see before me, we will create an entire system, essentially a ‘hexagon’ of alliances around or within the Middle East,” Netanyahu said.

“The intention here is to create an axis of nations that see eye to eye on the reality, challenges, and goals against the radical axes, both the radical Shia axis, which we have struck very hard, and the emerging radical Sunni axis.”

However, no government has publicly endorsed this plan – or its sectarian framing. Two of the three countries Netanyahu named – Greece and Cyprus – are members of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has an arrest warrant out for Netanyahu for war crimes in Gaza, and would be legally obliged to arrest him if he set foot there.