Is Netanyahu's Dream of Forming a New Middle East Evaporating?

Is Benjamin Netanyahu still hopeful about reshaping a ‘New Middle East’, or is that dream beginning to crumble, particularly following the Israel-US war against Iran? Since 7 October 2023, Netanyahu has repeatedly announced his ambition to form a new Middle East, reiterating this goal at almost every significant opportunity. Two days after the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, Netanyahu expressed his desire to change the face of the Middle East. This narrative has continued following the killing of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, the war against Iran in June 2025, the second anniversary of Al-Aqsa Flood, and the subsequent second war against Iran.

In truth, the Zionist expansionist mindset and the dream of reshaping the region are not new. However, under Netanyahu, the idea has emerged in a form that relies more heavily on military force (hard power) and a coercive approach, moving beyond the traditional Zionist strategy of gradual ‘bite and swallow’ (incremental expansion). Consequently, Netanyahu does not particularly admire the vision of former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres regarding a new Middle East. Although both were oriented towards dominance and influence, Peres’s vision still allowed room for soft power, diplomacy, and the normalisation of relations. Peres envisioned three circles of influence: 1. A geo-political region under direct Israeli control with a Jewish majority as far as possible; 2. A security sphere extending to the Arabian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, and Bab al-Mandab as vital spaces for Israeli influence; and 3. An economic sphere much broader than the previous two regions.