“What Is the Alternative?” Abrahamic Movement CEO Brings an Israeli Perspective to Turkish Media
In an interview with the Turkish digital newspaper Politurco, Tom Wegener explains how many Israelis view security after October 7, condemns settler violence, and argues that military power alone cannot stabilise the region.
fandfnews.com · September 28, 2026DIALOGUE — Tom Wegener, CEO of the Abrahamic Movement, has taken an Israeli viewpoint to an audience that rarely hears it: Turkish readers. Speaking to independent Turkish journalist Cumali Önal for Politurco, a Turkish digital newspaper, amid sharp geopolitical tension between Israel, Turkey and the wider region, Wegener set out what he says Israelis feel after October 7, and what his organisation is trying to build beyond the front line.
Wegener announced the interview on X, saying it was “not another headline about one politician” but an attempt to convey the feelings of ordinary people. Read his original post on X.
“What is the alternative? Should Israel wait for Hamas to attack again? Should it simply accept missiles and drones from Hezbollah or the Houthis?”
— Tom Wegener to Cumali Önal, Politurco
Security posture: “self-defense”
Wegener said Israelis believe they face organisations that openly seek to attack them, naming Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Islamic Jihad. Past approaches had been tried, he said, including Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, made in the expectation of a different reality.
“Instead, from the Israeli perspective, Gaza became a base for tunnels, missiles and militias, culminating in the October 7 attack… many Israelis would describe it differently. They see it as self-defense.”
Key points from the interview
“They see it as self-defense.” Wegener argues Israelis reject the label of a “hard approach” and see their policy as a response to groups that openly seek to attack them.
“Unfortunately, there are Jewish activists who harass or attack Palestinians who have done nothing to them. That behavior was not authorized by the Israeli government. It is illegal under Israeli law… The state must retain control over the use of force.”
“Before October 7, there was still a significant belief that Israel could protect itself primarily by defending its borders… October 7 shattered much of that assumption.”
“Israel is trying to develop new regional relationships. Relations with Morocco and the UAE have expanded… military power alone cannot create a stable Middle East.”
Why this conversation belongs in Turkish media
Wegener said the purpose was to place an Israeli perspective before Turkish readers who usually do not encounter it, and to show what his organisation, the Abrahamic Movement, is trying to build: “dialogue that does not wait for the tension to disappear.” He noted a link to the full interview in the comments of his post.
About the interviewer
Cumali Önal
Independent Turkish journalist, geopolitical analyst and consultant specialising in Middle Eastern and African affairs. A former prominent foreign correspondent for Zaman daily, he is now based in Germany.
- Outlets: freelance analyst and regular columnist at TR724; contributor to Politurco, the Turkish digital newspaper, where he interviews international scholars and regional experts.
- Expertise: Turkey, Egypt, Syria and Iraq; the Sahel and Horn of Africa, including Red Sea security, Somaliland and Sudan.
- Follow: @onalcumali on X, where he translates defence reports and tracks drone-warfare casualties and mercenary networks in Africa.
Writer for Faith & Freedom News (FFN), covering interfaith dialogue, human rights and geopolitics.About The Author
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