Why did Israel's defense minister ditch a security cabinet meeting to kiss a rabbi's ring?

The Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey defense pact, signed on Friday, aims to enhance collective defense against aggression but does not guarantee normalization with Israel, according to Dr. Yoel Guzansky, head of the Gulf Research Field at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS). The three Sunni-majority countries signed the agreement after mounting attacks from Iran and its proxies on Gulf states.

Saudi Arabia, the hardest-hit, likely joined the pact to gain more leverage and options amid waning trust in the US, according to Guzansky. While Iran's attacks might have pushed Gulf states closer to Israel for its defensive and technological capabilities, Jerusalem's growing reputation as a "hegemon" makes such an embrace challenging.

The pact may not lead to official Israeli-biased policies, but the Turkish and Pakistani stances, which are anti-Israel, could influence Saudi Arabia indirectly. Pakistan's Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, called for a united military front against Israel, describing it as a "threat to the entire Muslim world." Turkey views itself as a regional power, with President Erdogan being highly critical of Israel, described as anti-Semitic by Guzansky.

Rumors of other countries joining the pact, particularly Qatar and Egypt, raise concerns about the outlook for Israel, especially considering Qatar's propaganda capabilities through Al Jazeera. Guzansky believes the pact may be primarily diplomatic, with potential defensive equipment sharing, but doubts Turkey's willingness to engage in war against Iran.