Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's two interviews on Fox News in less than 48 hours are no coincidence. When he appears twice in a row on Fox News on the eve of US President Donald Trump's meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the NATO Summit in Ankara, that is a diplomatic move in every sense.
It is a media appearance that becomes a direct channel of pressure on Washington, while decisions are still not locked in and before Trump and Erdogan meet in person.
Netanyahu's interviews are part of a diplomatic struggle unfolding in real time, just before the Trump-Erdogan meeting could take place, affecting the balance of power in the region. He chose to conduct that fight on television, knowing that Trump was listening.
The two interviews should be seen as a package. In the first, Netanyahu made a real effort to calm the discourse around his relationship with Trump. He dismissed reports of a rift, stressed that the two "agree on 99% of issues," and presented a coordinated front, especially on Iran.
The message was calculated - before asking Trump to refrain from taking a certain step, any request made needs to be wrapped in credit and praise for the president. Netanyahu knows both that Trump is sensitive to public criticism, and also the difference between an ally who challenges the president, and an ally who gives him credit before trying to influence him.
Netanyahu aiming to prevent Turkey from becoming US's preferred security partner
The interviews highlight Netanyahu's aims to prevent Erdogan from leaving the NATO Summit with the image of a strategic victory that would signal Turkey's return to the status of Washington's preferred security partner.
After the first interview laid the groundwork, the second came, with the goal being laid bare.
Netanyahu publicly came out against the possibility that Trump would advance the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. He widened the argument beyond a narrow security concern and built an entire indictment against Erdogan's regime: "It is a country that occupies half of Cyprus... they talk openly about conquering Jerusalem... they supported Hamas and did not lift a finger against Iran," Netanyahu said.
He concluded with a sentence that was designed to resonate in American ears: "They are not allies of the standard that we are. We share the same values."
Netanyahu's criticism is aimed at Turkey, but addressed towards Washington. He skipped over the Israeli public and spoke directly to Republican lawmakers, to Democrats who oppose the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, and to people preparing Trump's background material documents. Netanyahu gave them the vocabulary that can be used to block the move.
His argument is that Turkey challenges NATO, holds a Russian S-4009 missile system, supports Hamas, and undermines the regional order. In Netanyahu's view, the issue has long since gone beyond narrow Israeli interests and touches the core of US interests. That is why Netanyahu barely spoke about Israel's direct interests, and instead spoke about values, loyalty to the alliance, and the credibility of a US ally.
The timing is no less important than the content. Tuesday's Trump-Erdogan meeting comes as Ankara is trying to get back on track to full security and military cooperation with the US after years of crisis and reduced ties.
For Erdogan, progress on the F-35 project, or even advancement of deals on engines, components, and technologies that would strengthen the Turkish KAAN fighter jet, would be a strategic achievement of similar weight to a formal return to the F-35 program.
From Israel's perspective, this could change the air power balance in the eastern Mediterranean. Even a limited deal could signal the start of a full repair in security ties between Washington and Ankara.
Shift in Trump's worldview could threaten Israel's status in region
Netanyahu's concern goes beyond access to a single aircraft. He sees a possible shift in Trump's worldview. For years, Israel enjoyed an almost exclusive status as the US's closest strategic ally in the region. If Trump decides that Turkey matters more, or even on the same level, because of NATO, the Ukraine-Russia War, Syria, or broader geostrategic considerations, Israel could find itself sharing center stage with a country that has become one of its fiercest critics in recent years. This struggle centers on US priorities in the Middle East.
That is why Netanyahu is careful to keep Trump out of the line of fire. He bolsters him, praises their relationship, and emphasizes their coordination. The criticism is directed entirely at Erdogan. It is a calculated political strategy - to try to move Trump away from a possible deal without turning the matter into a personal confrontation between Netanyahu and Trump.
At the same time, Netanyahu knows the arena does not end at the White House. Opposition to the deal also exists in Congress, among lawmakers from both parties, so every public statement is intended to provide ammunition to those seeking to delay or block any American move to restore Turkey to the status it previously held.
The move will be tested by one question: Did Netanyahu succeed in making the deal more costly politically?
Trump likes big deals and images of breakthroughs with leaders who were once his rivals. If he becomes convinced that restoring ties with Turkey serves American interests, then Israeli opposition alone will not stop him.
On the other hand, if Netanyahu turns the issue into a charged matter in Congress and presents the deal as a strategic concession to a country that maintains ties with Hamas and Russia, he may raise the political price of any step taken. From his perspective, even a delay of months or a reduction of the deal to a smaller scope could count as success.
The message has been sent. Now it remains to be seen whether it arrived before the deal was already closed in Trump's mind.