 |
| Ayelet Shaked |
'If Assad Wants to Survive, Syria Needs to Keep Iran Out'
| Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked [pictured] addressed some of the pressing threats looming over the Jewish state during a live interview at IDC Herzliya's International Counterterrorism Conference. Shaked spoke about the impact of Syrian President Bashar Assad's actions in the region, saying that he has a clear interest to "keep Iran out if he wants to survive." According to the justice minister, "Israel needs to pressure world powers to not allow [Iran to establish a strong presence in Syria]," and should world powers not comply, the Jewish state should "do what we need to do." Speaking about the possibility of a growing Iranian presence in the conflict-addled Syria, Shaked said that "Iran's [presence] in Syria can be very bad and Israel will not agree to them" establishing weapons factories and ports. She also expressed her hope that "world powers won't allow it." She went on to warn of an attempt by different terror groups in the area, backed by Iran, to build a "Shi'ite bridge from Iran [all the way across the] Syrian border with Israel." Shaked also addressed other threats...[T]he minister said that Israel has to "make sure Hezbollah doesn't get "game-changing weapons" and also warned that "Hezbollah's weapons [arsenal] is growing." |
*
Israel Just Bombed a Chemical Weapons Factory that Syria Shouldn't Have Had - Alex Ward
Israel bombed a suspected Syrian chemical weapons factory last week, just one day after the UN blamed Syrian forces for a chemical weapons attack in April.
It's a very big deal that Syria still had a chemical weapons facility, given that it had earlier promised to give up all of those weapons.
In 2013, Syria promised to give up its chemical weapons as part of a diplomatic deal with Russia and the U.S. to avert a planned American strike in response to Assad gassing almost 1,000 of his own citizens to death near Damascus.
(VOX)
*
Sending a Signal to Syria - Maj. General Yaakov Amidror
There is no doubt that this sole bombing will not halt Iran's efforts to tighten its grip on Syria, but it makes it clear that Israel enjoys freedom of action in striking Syrian targets.
The writer is former National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of Israel and former Head of Israel's National Security Council.
(Israel Hayom)
What Comes after Bombing of Weapons Factory in Syria? - Elliott Abrams
What would be useful at this point is a statement by the U.S. that we approve of the action Israel took, and that in the event of a conflict Israel would have our support in defending itself. Such a statement might help persuade Iran and Syria to observe the limits Israel is imposing, and might help avoid a wider conflict.
The writer, a senior fellow at the CFR, handled Middle East affairs at the U.S. National Security Council from 2001 to 2009.
(Council on Foreign Relations)
*
UPDATE:
Russia Urges Syria Not to Respond to Israel's Attack on Weapons Factory
- Ronen Bergman
Russia has urged Syrian President Assad not to respond after an airstrike on the country's Scientific Studies and Research Center which the Syrian regime attributes to Israel, a senior Russian official in Moscow dealing with Middle East affairs told Yediot Ahronot.
The official also noted Russia is aware of Israel's concerns of Iranian entrenchment in Syria and will prevent Tehran from establishing a foothold in the Golan Heights significant enough to pose a threat to Israel.
(Ynet News)
*
No comments:
Post a Comment