Though Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officials have made clear they are moving closer to secession from Iraq, they are trying to distance themselves from pro-secession comments made by Israel.
Kurdish envoy Bayan Abdul Rahman insisted the there was no coordination with Israel on the comments, nor does the KRG have any ties with Israel whatsoever.
It’s a difficult issue to manage for the KRG, as any perception of Israeli ties would fuel regional opposition to their independence, and many of their neighbors are on hostile terms with Israel.
At the same time, the KRG is still trying to get some US acquiescence on secession, and it’s undeniable that Israel has a lot of influence in DC. Balancing Israel’s ability to coax the US into changing policy with the hostility neighbors like Iran and Turkey could feel at having a perceived Israeli proxy on their border is going to be a challenge for Kurdish officials going forward, making Israel’s approval something of a double-edged sword.
Yes, it would not be helpful in the Arab Muslim world to be linked to Israel.
However, these is something more. Netanyahu is a selfish and manipulative Machiavelian. He doesn't care about Kurds. He wants two things: pressure on Turkey, and cover to change his own borders.
He'll support Kurds, oppose Kurds, or ignore Kurds, whichever best serves those goals at the moment. The Kurds know it too, and so they are wary.
Glad to hear that. Still, when netenyahoo's comments first appeared weren't people saying that the Kurds are big friends of israel, and even supply israel with oil? What gives?