former Israeli prime minister and Likud opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that Israel launched an air strike against Syria on September 6, aafter weeks of refusing to confirm the operation. It appears the rationale for the strike is that Syria had nuclear weapon making materials from North Korea. While this may have been true and provide the excuse for a bombing raid, it is certainly not the right way for Israel to behave. If Israel is to develop legitimacy it must behave with the highest standards – in this case working through international bodies, especially the UN.
Israel might excuse its actions by saying that it has been at war with Syria since peace talks broke down in 2000, but that is merely convenience. Israel’s actions are deeply intertwined with American foreign policy and its military is underwritten by American banks, business and government. It can not claim integrity if it does not behave with integrity and the highest morals.
Tensions between the two counties have risen in recent months as fighting over Lebanon has continued and the aggression of Israel in the region has remained high. In fact Israel uses Lebanon as an excuse for its belligerence saying that Syria first abandon its support for Lebanese and Palestinian terrorist groups before peace talks can resume, while Syria insists that peace talks are contingent upon Israel returning the Golan Heights, which it seized in 1967. Israel may be seen to have reduced the nuclear threat thanks to its propaganda machine, but the reality is that continued belligerence raises terrorist activity in the middle east and around the world.
Follow this link to read George Friedman’s insightful analysis. A revealing quote from his piece pinpoints the curiousness of the conspiracy behind the air raid:
Israel and the United States both have gone out of their way to draw attention to the fact that a highly significant military operation took place in Northern Syria, and compounded the attention by making no attempt to provide a plausible cover story. They have done everything possible to draw attention to the affair without revealing what the affair was about. Israel and the United States have a lot of ways to minimize the importance of the operation. By the way they have handled it, however, each has chosen to maximize its importance.
Are the US and Israel aiming to raise the ante with Syria and Iran? The mystery is not yet revealed.
Comments