Nadav Eyal
Ynet News, Dec. 14, 2024
“This has left the U.S. in a peculiar position: two NATO allies, the U.S. and Turkey, are pursuing completely opposing goals in Syria.”
Iran’s proxy strategy—the network of operatives it built against Israel—once seemed effective and intimidating. But it turns out that slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s “spiderweb” metaphor wasn’t about Israel, but rather Iran’s network.
Iran’s proxies were supposed to protect it, but in the end, it was dragged into defending them—and failed. This week, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was filled with accusations. His bitterness will bring satisfaction to anyone seeking peace in the region.
That said, there are no illusions about Damascus. Even there, we will be on our own. “The rebels have won,” an Israeli security official told his American counterpart, who immediately corrected him: “Don’t say rebels, they’re jihadists. Terrorists.” The Israeli official didn’t need the reminder; he was overseeing an IDF operation to eliminate Syrian army capabilities.
The prevailing view in Israel’s security establishment is that Shiite jihadism has been replaced by Sunni jihadism. For now, the new regime will persuade the world it isn’t al-Qaida and will attempt to take control of the entire state and restore order. But in a year or two, it will begin framing the return of the Golan Heights as a sacred Islamic mission.….SOURCE
