Recent developments in Syria have prompted Israeli calls for the provision of direct and indirect assistance to the Assad regime, including turning a blind eye to the presence of Iranian-backed forces on Israel’s borders with Syria.
In an interview published by Haaretz newspaper, Israeli General Ezer Tseverir said the changes that have occurred in recent months require Israel to do everything it can to ensure Assad remains in power. Tseverir added that Israel should aim to maintain the status quo in Syria, and never let the war end with the victory of one of the warring parties through support for the current regime, if even for Machiavellian reasons.
The general stated that Syria is no longer a threat to Israel, while a threat of a different kind represented in ISIS has begun to take shape, especially after it seized the strategic city of Palmyra, forming a threat to regional countries such as Jordan and Lebanon.
Tseverir noted that supporting Assad would be a valuable strategy against Iran and Hezbollah, and it may open secret channels between Israel and the Shiite front.
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
