While Israel’s clandestine relations with Kurdish groups date back to the 1960s, only in the past few years have Israeli politicians begun voicing their support for the Kurds’ independence more publicly. Ofra Bengio explains what the Jewish state and the Kurds have in common, the history of their relationship, and the various benefits to, and dangers of, further cooperation:
The ties between Israel and the Kurds are complex and shrouded in mystery. Relations are always more complex when they are asymmetrical, as in this case where they are between a state and non-state actors. Note that we must say actors, plural, because Israel has to deal separately with four Kurdish [entities] in four countries . . . : Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Complicating the picture still further is the fact that each of the four groups has a different political agenda, a different approach toward Israel, and different geostrategic calculations within its respective state and in the region as a whole. . . .
While the upheavals in the region have increased the mutual interests between Israel and the Kurds, they have not lessened the Kurds’ desire to keep relations behind the scenes as much as possible. Being a state in embryo surrounded by Arab and Muslim countries makes [the government of Iraqi Kurdistan] very cautious about publicizing anything that has to do with Israel. . . . To compensate for the distance it keeps from Israel, however, it sends positive messages vis-à-vis the Jews and Jewish culture. . . .
The late Kurdish leader Mullah Mustafa Barzani used to say that the very fact that the Kurds exist as a nation on the ground helps to ease the pressure on Israel. This is indeed the main benefit for Israel from a pro-Kurdish stance, and in the choice between Islamic State and a Kurdish state, Israel’s interest certainly lie with the latter.
Read more on American Interest: http://www.the-american-interest.com/2016/03/18/israel-and-the-kurds-love-by-proxy/