Results of Israel's mid May 2013 airstrike(s) on Damascus, Syria
Rough location of Israel's January 2013 airstrike(s) on Syria.
------------------------------------------------Israel's late January 2013 airstrike(s) perhaps on a Syrian convoy with missiles for Hezbollah and/or on a Syrian chemical weapon research-production facility.
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The following is an excellent commentary on Israel's recent historical and current concerns about Syria. The commentary is by Professor Itamar Rabinovich, Vice Chairman of the (Israeli) Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) Board of Directors, former president of Tel Aviv University and a former Israeli ambassador to Washington
| “The Devil We Know” Revisited: Israeli Thinking on the Future of the Assad Regime INSS Insight No. 427, May 19, 2013 |
On May 17, 2013, The Times of London Syria Israel ’s national security establishment as to the country’s priorities with regard to Syria
The expression “the devil we know” was famously used by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 2005 when he explained to President George W. Bush why he opposed the US Iraq against the US Sharon thought that from Israel ’s perspective it was preferable to have a familiar regime in Damascus rather than face an uncertain future and the prospect of the Muslim Brotherhood, the only organized opposition in Syria Iran ’s ally and provided it with a land bridge to Hizbollah in Lebanon Golan Heights and inherited his father’s reputation as a familiar, and on the whole, predictable enemy. Throughout his political career and his five years as prime minister, Sharon opposed the idea of a settlement with Syria
Another Syrian-Israeli negotiation was conducted in 2010-2011, during the final two years of Benjamin Netanyahu’s previous tenure, through mediators on behalf of the Obama administration. According to these mediators, this was a very serious negotiation, Netanyahu’s public rejection of a withdrawal from the Golan Heights notwithstanding. The outbreak of the Syrian crisis in March 2011 put an end to this negotiation as well.
The Syrian crisis, which began as a series of demonstrations and developed into a brutal civil war and a sectarian conflict, transformed Israel Iran Iran Iran ’s rivals such as Saudi Arabia , Turkey , Qatar , and Jordan Russia , and to a lesser extent China Russia Russia , protecting its investment in Syria and preventing it from falling into the US
As a neighbor with a high stake in Syria ’s future, Israel Israel Syria Israel made it clear that it had its own red lines vis-à-vis Syria Israel reportedly destroyed a cache of missiles in the Damascus area en route to Lebanon Israel Israel Iran , Syria Russia , which is about to provide Syria with sophisticated S-300 missiles whose entry into the Syrian-Lebanese arena is unacceptable to Israel Israel finds itself deeply involved in the regional and international conflict over Syria
Indeed, there is a debate within the Israeli defense establishment as to the desirable outcome of the Syrian civil war. Some argue, in line of what was said to the London Times, that at the end of the day is it better for Israel Israel Iran and in close partnership with Hizbollah presents a graver threat to Israel
This latter school of thought is the more convincing. Bashar al-Assad demonstrated his ability to take radical dangerous actions when he built a nuclear reactor in league with North Korea Iran Israel Israel ’s recent entanglement in the Russian-American conflict over the future of Syria
Pete
Pete