BICOM

As the Iraqi government and world powers mull a response to the military gains made recently by the Sunni Jihadist ISIS group, Israeli leaders are reportedly beginning to consider the implications of Iraqi instability.

The sudden ISIS advance is a significant concern for many Western countries, who are keen to see democracy thrive in Iraq. These concerns have likely been compounded for Israel by news earlier this week that ISIS had captured a border crossing between Iraq and Jordan. Israel enjoys largely warm relations with neighbouring Jordan since the two countries signed a peace treaty in 1994. An official at the Jordanian Embassy in Tel Aviv told Israeli media this week that there is “very good cooperation” between the two countries over ISIS and other radical threats.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman discussed the situation in Iraq yesterday with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Paris. According to a Lieberman spokesperson quoted by Reuters, he told Kerry, “Iraq is breaking up before our eyes and it would appear that the creation of an independent Kurdish state is a foregone conclusion.”

Also commenting on potential Kurdish independence, senior Israeli defence official Amos Gilad told Army Radio that, “Our silence – in public, at least – is best. Any unnecessary utterance on our part can only harm them [the Kurds]” due to the sensitivity of relations between Israel and others in the region. However, it has been widely reported in the media that Israel last week took its first delivery of crude oil from the new Kurdish pipeline in the north of Iraq, a significant sign of cooperation.

Meanwhile, Israel’s President Shimon Peres also raised the issue of Iraqi Kurds during talks this week with US President Barack Obama at the White House. According to Reuters, Peres said, “The Kurds have, de facto, created their own state, which is democratic,” praising the “equality of women” in Kurdish areas as a clear sign of democracy.