The reversal of alignments between the Shiite axis and its strengthening Sunni counterpart may bring the next major threat to Israel.
The rise and prominence of Abu Mohammad al-Julani symbolize this shift: the Shiite axis has weakened after suffering a series of moral, military, and regional blows from Israel.
Into that vacuum steps a Sunni axis—not the “moderate” one Israel and the United States hope to build, but the Muslim Brotherhood-led front anchored by Qatar, Turkey, and a resurgent “new” Syria.
This Brotherhood-driven Sunni axis is consolidating, already evident in Syria, where an intensifying contest between Israel and Turkey is underway for strategic control of the land-bridge state. If the Shiite axis continues to collapse, the Sunni axis could expand rapidly, filling the void.