Israel endorses independent Kurdish state
Iraqi Kurds are preparing to vote in a referendum on independence
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has endorsed the creation of an independent Kurdish state, as Iraqi Kurds prepare for a referendum on independence.
Netanyahu said in a statement that Israel still considers the Turkey-based Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) a terrorist group but “supports the legitimate efforts of the Kurdish people to achieve their own state”.
“Israel has maintained discreet military, intelligence and business ties with the Kurds since the 1960s,” says Reuters, “viewing the minority ethnic group - whose indigenous population is split between Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran - as a buffer against shared Arab adversaries.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This is not the first time Netanyahu has voiced support for an independent Kurdish state - he backed the Kurds’ “aspirations for independence” in a speech in 2014. However, his latest intervention comes at a sensitive time in the region. On Tuesday, the leader of Iraq’s Kurds, Massoud Barzani, said he would press ahead with the 25 September referendum despite a vote by Iraq’s parliament rejecting it.
“His endorsement also clashes with both the US and Turkish positions,” says Bloomberg. The Turkish government, which has recently restored diplomatic ties with Israel following years of estrangement, “is concerned that sovereignty for Iraqi Kurds would encourage its own Kurdish insurgents”, says the news agency, while the US believes a Kurdish vote “could destabilize the region and undercut the war on extremism”.
There are fears a highly public vote for independence could detract attention from the war against Islamic State and stir up hostilities between the Iraqi government and Kurdish separatists.
Netanyahu’s endorsement “will cut little ice in Baghdad”, which has no diplomatic relations with Israel and has strong ties with Israel’s arch-foe Iran, says Reuters.
The goal of an independent state has been the dream of many Kurds since the end of the First World War, when colonial powers carved up the Ottoman Empire.
Iraqi Kurdistan has effectively been a semi-autonomous state since the fall of Saddam Hussein more than a decade ago, but support for full independence has long been opposed by Turkey, Iran and Syria, who fear it could fan separatist uprisings among their own ethnic Kurds.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Foreigners in Spain facing a 100% tax on homes as the country battles a housing crisis
Under the Radar The goal is to provide 'more housing, better regulation and greater aid,' said Spain's prime minister
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: January 22, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Codeword: January 22, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Gaza ceasefire, hostage deal on track to start by Monday
Speed Read A deal between Israel and Hamas to release hostages and begin a ceasefire was officially signed by representatives in Doha
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel and Hamas reach long-awaited Gaza ceasefire
The Explainer After more than a year of violence that has left tens of thousands dead and pushed the Middle East toward broader regional war, negotiators say an end is in sight
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK Published
-
Romania's election rerun
The Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Talking Point Steering clear of open conflict, Moscow is slowly ratcheting up the pressure on Nato rivals to see what it can get away with.
By The Week UK Published
-
Cutting cables: the war being waged under the sea
In the Spotlight Two undersea cables were cut in the Baltic sea, sparking concern for the global network
By The Week UK Published
-
The nuclear threat: is Vladimir Putin bluffing?
Talking Point Kremlin's newest ballistic missile has some worried for Nato nations
By The Week UK Published
-
Russia vows retaliation for Ukrainian missile strikes
Speed Read Ukraine's forces have been using U.S.-supplied, long-range ATCMS missiles to hit Russia
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published