Israel is often studied in the literature on state-diaspora relations due to the significance of its relationship with the Jewish diaspora in official state policy. At times, Israel must cope with tension between its role as the Jewish state and its obligations as a member of international society. The case of Israel’s covert engagement of the Turkish Jewish community that we analyze underlines this notion and illustrates how it deals with this challenge. In 1961, the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs was faced with a difficult decision, when the Turkish government decided to close the Jewish institutions in Turkey. On one hand, it wanted to act, but on the other, it did not want to jeopardize the relations between Israel and Turkey, a country very sensitive to issues of national sovereignty and minorities. We use Israeli archives to analyze the Israeli diplomats` management of this dilemma and the solution found to support the Turkish Jewish community. The archives show that Israel secretly mobilized the US Bnai Brit organization to apply pressure on the Turkish government without being perceived as interfering in the country’s internal affairs. By describing this triangular operation led by Jerusalem, we offer an important case study for understanding state attempts to bypass the limitations embedded in the international system. This study will be of interest to scholars of Israel studies, state-diaspora relations and those interested in the issue of opportunities and limits of state behavior in a system where sovereignty is fundamental in international norms.