Israel treading carefully to avoid war with Syria
IDF cancels part of massive combat training exercise to calm tensions along northern border.
By Amos Harel Tags: Syria Israel newsIsrael has taken steps in recent weeks to lower tensions with Syria and prevent a misunderstanding that could spark an escalation along the northern border.
A General Staff exercise code-named Firestones 12 last week did not include the scenario of a war with Syria - only a clash with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Although originally considered, the Israel Defense Forces opted not to include an element in the exercise that required the rushing of large numbers of conscript soldiers to the north, so that the Syrians would not mistake this as an offensive. Israel also relayed messages to Syria on both open and secret channels, assuring them that no offensive action was being considered.
Military sources told Haaretz that the desire to avoid escalating tensions was one of the considerations that led to the cancelation of part of the exercise. But they added that the IDF would hold exercises in the future if appropriate.
In recent weeks, senior Iranian, Syrian and Hezbollah officials have commented extensively on the likelihood of war with Israel; in some instances they accused Israel of planning an offensive in the north. A week ago, Syrian President Bashar Assad hosted his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and met with the Hamas and Hezbollah leadership. In a speech at the summit, Ahmadinejad claimed that the Zionist regime is close to its demise.
In addition to extensive Hezbollah activity in southern Lebanon, which in the last two years has focused on military preparations in built-up areas of villages and towns, the extremist Shi'ite organization has renewed its activities in what the IDF terms "nature reserves" - open fields with wild vegetation that Hezbollah used during the Second Lebanon War in 2006.
Hezbollah's activities in the "nature reserves" is carried out by operatives in civilian clothing so as not to be identified by the UN troops patrolling the area and be condemned for violating UN Security Council Resolution 1701 that helped end the war.
In a lecture at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy last week, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that Israel is closely following developments in Lebanon and that "the time has come to discuss this more directly and honestly."
At a conference in memory of Haaretz defense analyst Ze'ev Schiff, Barak said that at its basis, UN Security Council Resolution 1701 seeks "to put an end to the Hezbollah anomaly in Lebanon, but instead of resolving the problem the resolution only made it more complicated." Commenting on the size of Hezbollah's missile and rocket arsenal in Lebanon, Barak mentioned a new number, 45,000, much higher than previous assessments.
"We cannot accept the artificial distinction between the Hezbollah terrorists and the state of Lebanon," Barak added. "We will not lead a confrontation, but if we are attacked we will not chase down Hezbollah's lone terrorists .... The government of Lebanon and other sources of support and funding [of Hezbollah] will be part of the equation."
In an article on the Washington Institute's Web site, two American researchers write that Syria may have delivered to Hezbollah Russian-made shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles - the Igla-S (SA-24 by its NATO code). The authors say these missiles may pose a threat to the air force's F-16 fighters.
In the past, U.S. officials told Arab media that Syria is training Hezbollah fighters in the use of the aging SA-2 anti-aircraft missiles, but others reportedly said that Syria may transfer SA-8 anti-aircraft missiles to Hezbollah.
According to the article, many attempts by Hezbollah to attack Israeli and Jewish targets abroad as revenge for the assassination of Imad Mughniyeh two years ago were foiled. The authors say that at least six plans to attack Israelis in Turkey were uncovered, and Iranian intelligence agents were involved in the operations.
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
israel is living in a very dangerous area .it,s sorrounded by determined enemies and foes .israel is getting tense , it,s enemies are adding up and arming themselves with lethal weapons .israel,s dependance on usa and others won,t help much . israel should turn to peace with palestinians first and make a palestinian state a reality with jerusalem the capital .israel must and should think and act smart to foil war . israel can,t endure long harsh and savage war in many fronts for long time . this will drain israel from people and make life there miserable .peace must be a priority for israel .
I find it amusing and pathetic at the same time that people living abroad are encouraging countries that they don't live in to go to war. People who are not ready to learn from history don't deserve a future, and this applies to all peoples. The only path is to compromise and give up land that was taken by war in 1967 - a violation of international law - for peace. That is the only way to undermine Israel's enemies: stop building settlements, contribute to the building of a Palestinian state, and watch as Iran and everyone else loses every card they have to rally extremism. But then, all this assumes Israel actually wants peace and believes Palestinians deserve the same right that they enjoy - statehood.
Many IDF officers are afraid of a war with both Hezbollah and Syria. They know that the IAF can't give them any backing due to sophisticated Russian anti-aircraft missiles and they also face the fact that Syria will flatten Tel Aviv as both of Israel's enemies have a ton of accurate lethal missiles. The IDF knows about the 2006 defeat and is scared to face an ever bigger defeat if it lures both Hezbollah and Syria into a war. In the next war Hezbollah will move onto Israeli soil and no one can stop them. The IDF is aware of it.
Israel should really avoid this one. It will be a smart decision. If not, then it will suffer like never before. Even if America supplies Israel with all it needs, it won't help as much. And if so, Hezballah from the north, Syria from north east, Hamas from Gaza, the West Bank, and inshallah, we, new fighter from the East Bank.
NEVER MIND ANY SQUARE CENTIMETER..... THE WINNER STAYS WITH THE LAND, AND THE LOSER ACCEPT THE PEACE.
I can assure you Israel is not scared of war with Syria, Hezbollah etc. She just would prefer peace. If left with no option, Israel will fight and easily defeat Syria and her evil friends - no question on who will win. Syria has been beaten beforem and she knows it would happen again. Syria wants the Golan back, but she knows she cannot take it by force - or else she would have already. In my opinion there will never be real Peace between Israel and Syria, but Israel is okay with that, Israeli's live just fine under status quo, and the wine and skiing enjoyed in the Golan is great!!
Of course you are absolutely correct. Israel still exists purely because of the love Syria, Lebanon,Iran, Hamas and Fatah have for the "Zionist Entity"
Dear Alas in Toronto.Are you for real? Our Jewish boys did not die just so that the land can be given to the Arabs. If that is the case then maybe America should give back the land they took from the Indians, Germany should give back land they took during the war etc etc. Maybe you should come live here, join our army and then you can talk.
Israel knows how to handle Arab regimes, those allies and those not so. Syria is in the second, and the regime is inept to mount a resistance and as all of them they only want to stay afloat. Islamic obligation, Liberation or shear pride and dignity do not count. Hence, Israel's superiority was supreme. But, Arabs and Muslims are not Arab regimes, and everybody knows that when true powers are in the hand of the masses israel, Western powers and their Arab supporters would be in deep trouble. Hezbullah, Hamas, and other freedom fighters have shown how Israel is vulnerable. Durable and equitable peace for all,including Palestinians, Israelis and the whole world when things come to their permanant stable position. The status quo cannot last.
If Israel only be for once detreminated to finish open cases! Dont stop 40 km before Damascus again, clean the damn zone for once and all. This will provide the better quality of peace then any negotiations including exchange of land. Would enlist in IDF anytime for this reason.
Thankfully your analysis is so plainly incorrect that I need only to recommend that you consult more than one layer of history to see that it is military strength, and only that, that ever determines matters in this part of the world, and most of the world over for that matter. Also, why the 1967 boarders? What's next? 1956? 1948? Pre-Turks?
Israel should fear absolutely nothing! For so many years Israel has been surrounded by enemies. Look at 1967 and 1973--everybody said they were toast but history tells a different story. God has proved Himself strong in the past and will in the future. Curious about the future of Syria--read whats next for Damascus in Isaiah 17
Maybe the usual "Israel only knows war" mob could explain.
Hezbollah needs to be successfull only once, the Israeli need to be successfull all the time, so who's really loosing? Hezbollah and their allies have learned well from their european counterparts (IRA, RAF, red brigades, ETA,...), sadly, the israeli did not.
israel. we are always in the wron because... we are jewish. no worries... if syria attacks we will defend ourselves... to hell with what you all think
Israel simply cannot afford another adventure. The tables have turned, instead using war to scare her neighbors, israel is trying to avoid it completly. One can only blame israel because the harder israel hit, the stonger hezbollah got. Now its spiraled out of control and israel is scrambling to pick up the peices. the only solution is make peace via land for peace. That means pulling back to 1967 completly.
The land captured from Syria in 1967 is not really yours. If you give it back and you get a genuine peace in return it will be worth it. In order to implement this Syria needs to give immediate full recognition with full diplomatic relations to Israel in exchange for a gradual, pull-out from the Golan by Israel commencing at the same time as recognition and relations are established. To encourage the parties, perhaps the world community can throw each side some sweeteners like increased trade and tourism. In addition to the fact that it is always a good idea to be at peace with one's neighbors, making peace with Syria would also go a long way towards keeping their buddies in Iran away from your doorstep. returning teh Golan is a small price to pay for genuine peace. In fact, it's a no-brainer.
Avoiding war with Syria is not good enough. Syria and Israel are in need to prosper together. Syria?s Imam delivered a massage to Israel that Syria has an obligation to protect the Jews. What else Israel wants out of Syria that might become its the friendliest. If Israel believes that the scattered Palestinians refugees could become citizens of their hosts, it is a dust in the wind wish. Wake up Israel to the fact that the Palestinians refugees in the Arab States are its problem as much as to their hosts. The Palestinians people are so in disarray, could not manage their affair. They are known to sell their cause to the higher bidder. I do not blame the Palestinians to do so because they are refugee in their homeland.
there are no idols in Israel
Here's the deal, "Zionists forever" types: Either give back the Farms, the Golan, the occupied and settled territories, OR face unending war with all of your neighbors. You have no other choice now, and the world is growing impatient. Listen to Brazil. Listen to Turkey. Listen to the restless Europeans, some of whom actually allowed Zionism to start and flourish and supported you before you took what was not yours. You may own the US Congress but you do not own the rest of the world. Hurry to behind the Green Line, for the land on the other side was never yours and will never be yours, bible or no bible.
There is nothing scholarly about them...neocon heaven...not at all in Israels interest