UPDATE: Within hours of originally publishing this post, Arab media reported that Israeli war planes attacked two military targets near Damascus. This would make at least the sixth Israeli invasion of Syrian territorial sovereignty to attack military-security targets. Nicholas Blanford seems to have summed up the situation pretty well:
“Usually we have the attack, there are accusations from the one side, the Israelis say nothing, within two or three days there are leaks in the American or Israeli press and that’s when we get to find out what they tried to hit,” he told Al Arabiya News.
Blanford said previous reported strikes had allegedly been against what the Israelis described as “potential game-changing weapons” such as air defense systems, advanced anti-aircraft missiles, anti-ship missiles or long-range surface-to-surface missiles…
“It’s still too soon to say and we will have to wait for the inevitable leaks to come out in the next few days but I think we can safely assume that whatever they hit [on Sunday] will probably fall into these categories,” Blanford said.
* *
For much of the length of the Syrian rebellion, news media have claimed that Israel has maintained neutrality between Pres. Assad and the rebels. Israel officially makes the same claim. But this is not true and has never been true. At least five times the IAF has attacked Syrian government positions, in several cases in an attempt to destroy advanced Russian weapons being shipped to Hezbollah, Assad’s ally. A few weeks ago, Israel shot down a Syrian plane it claimed had strayed yards into Israeli territory after it had returned to Syria, another breach of Syrian territorial sovereignty.
In the past few days, Lebanese media reports the army fired on Israeli drones inside Lebanese airspace in the Bekaa Valley. By one account, the drones were monitoring a Syrian airport on behalf of rebels forces who were trying to take it from loyalist troops.
Now, the UN peacekeeping force on the Israel-Syria border, which has been under threat from Syria rebels, reports on the increasing level of explicit support offered by the Israeli military to the rebels. Some time ago, I reported about a FoxNews story which filmed Israeli commandos inside Syria, returning from operation in support of Golani Syrian Druze forces opposed to Assad.
The latest report shows not only that Israel has accepted wounded rebel fighters for medical treatment inside Israel, it is accepting them from those who are the most radical Islamists among them: the al-Nusra Front:
In the [Israeli hospital in Safed], they’re careful to present in a positive light the work to save the lives of those [Syrians] who need it: children, female non-combatants, refugees and even fighters from the Islamist al-Nusra Front.
Though some local Israelis resent the intensive and expensive medical treatment offered the Syrians, even going so far as to say “they would slaughter us if they had the chance, it’s in their blood,” reasons of state prevail in this matter. In fact, treating Syrians who are fresh from the battle zone is a terrific means of picking up intelligence and recruiting Israeli agents. The Shin Bet already does this by blackmailing Palestinians to spy in return for offering superior Israeli medical treatment for family members. This is one of the many odious ways in which it recruits some of the agents who may end up executed someday by Hamas after being abandoned to their fates by their Israeli handlers.
Israel has even established (Hebrew source) a Camp Ashraf-style Syrian rebel encampment just inside Israeli territory on the border (watch Israeli TV video):
UN observers stated that tents were set up about 300 meters from the Israeli position for some 70 families of Syrian deserters. The Syrian army sent a letter of complaint to UNDOF in September, claiming this tent camp was a base for “armed terrorists” crossing the border into Israel. The Syrians also warned that if the UN would not evacuate the tent camp, the Syrian army would view it as a legitimate target.
The video featured above has this to say:
Now, pictures are coming from a refugee camp established next to the border which hasn’t brought about any response from Israel who, in the meantime enables the continuing existence of the complex.
This would be a huge red flag to Assad, indicating Israel was prepared to escalate its intervention by permitting rebels to operate openly inside Israel and engaging in cross border sabotage-terror operations. Clearly, it’s in Israel’s interest to create maximum instability inside Syria in order to harm the interests not just of Assad, but his chief allies Iran and Hezbollah. Despite the fact that Sunni Islamist rebels are enemies of Israel and Zionism, in Israel’s current policy trajectory, the enemy of its enemy is its friend. However, one must remember that in the Middle East, one’s current ally can quickly turn into one’s worst nightmare: witness the Afghani mujahadeen alliance with the CIA under in the Reagan presidency; and Israel’s own covert efforts to found both Hamas and Hezbollah to counter the impact of the secularist Fatah in Palestine and Lebanon.
Whatever any Israeli may say about this, do not tell me this is a generous humanitarian gesture on Israel’s part. It’s nothing of the sort. It’s a move calculated purely for intelligence and political advantage.
UN Peacekeepers Observe IDF Interacting With Al Nusra in Golan
Ban identifies Al Nusra as the group behind the kidnapping of the UN troops.
In the report Ban writes, “Following the evacuation of UNDOF personnel from position 85 on 28 August, UNDOF sporadically observed armed members of the opposition interacting with IDF across the ceasefire line in the vicinity of United Nations position 85.” [see map]
In their hasty withdrawal from positions in the Golan in mid-September, the troops were unable to secure all of their assets. “Unfortunately some assets and equipment were left behind,” Ban writes. UN Tribune reported in September that Al Nusra had previously seized several UN armored vehicles as well as taken command of facilities the UN had vacated.
○ Syria Expendable In Joint US-Israel ME Power Schemes
○ The Redirection, Is the Strategic Shift in US Policy Benefitting Our Enemies by Seymour Hersh
○ UN: Israel interacting with rebels on Syrian border
In September, the United Nations secured the release of 45 UNDOF soldiers, kidnapped in August by the al-Qaeda-linked group, through the payment of a $25 million ransom by Qatar, an Israeli TV report claimed.
Please tell us what you think Israel should do with regards to her neighbor’s civil war? Iran is involved. Hezbollah is involved.
RS,
your statement about Syrian rebels camp been established by Israel is wrong: it’s neither originates from Hebrew link
nor from UNDOF report.
False! From my link above you can find the UNDOF Report of 1 December 2014 …
“During the reporting period, UNDOF observed two tented camps housing internally displaced persons in the vicinity of United Nations position 80. The number of tents has varied over the period. At the time of reporting, approximately 40 large and medium-sized tents were seen in the vicinity of Al Aishah village, north of position 80, and two tents placed approximately 300 m south of position 80. UNDOF estimates that from 60 to 70 families live in the camps. On 23 September, position 80 observed armed individuals gathered in Al Aishah village unloading weapons from a truck. Some individuals were in civilian attire and others in camouflage uniforms. A vehicle with a mounted anti-aircraft gun was observed in proximity to the place of
unloading. Late in September, the Senior Syrian Arab Delegate sent a letter to the UNDOF Force Commander stating that the camps for internally displaced persons were not used for humanitarian reasons but as a base for “armed terrorist” groups who also crossed to the Alpha side.”
The interaction between IDF and members of armed groups (al Nusra) is also documented. Al Nusra has established a link between north and south along this long extended sector of the Golan Heights. The training camps for insurgents run by British and US special forces in Jordan is well known and published in the media.
So Israel is talking to the de facto rulers of the refugee camp, al Nusra, which refugee camp is located on Israel’s border. That’s sensible, isn’t it, to talk to your new neighbors?
@ Red Eft: Don’t be daft. If there’s a Syrian rebel refugee came on or inside the Israeli border it was created by Israel & for Israel. It’s not sensible to do anything like this, unless you’re Israel & you don’t give a crap about anyone or anything else.
I don’t know who created the refugee camp, but if Israel created it, it was to ensure that refugees don’t spill across the border and enter Israel proper. What’s the problem with that?
@ Red Eft: Bullshit. You want to piss on our backs & tell us it’s rain?? Good luck with that. Israel’s creating a Syrian rebel base under its own patronage & protection.
@Oui
“the camps for internally displaced persons were not used for humanitarian reasons but as a base for “armed terrorist” groups who also crossed to the Alpha side.”
A mere quote from the Syrian government does not, IMHO, constitute proof that “terrorist groups” have crossed into Israel.
You have to do better than that.
@ nikkor1: Wrong? Think again. This from Mako:
Do you seriously believe the creation of a base for Syrian militants on the Israeli border isn’t approved & even organized by Israel? If so, you’re daft or else a hasbara agent.
The article on Mako says the refugee camp is next to the border and NOT inside Israel!
@ Ariel: The article doesn’t make any clear statement one way or the other. The camp could be inside Israel or right on the border or perhaps just over it in Israeli occupied territory, which is still Syrian under international law.
RS – If they were inside Israel, it would say they crossed the border and are on Israeli side.
Here is similar article on Maariv website where once again it says ‘close to the border’. http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART2/583/242.html
As for shooting down the Syrian Mig, I think NATO should try that with Russia. It is a slippery slope if a country ignore such incident.
Overall, in my opinion Israel have done great job not getting involved except for proportionate reaction to mortars inside Israel and ‘according to foreign sources’ hitting ammunition on way to Hizbollah.
Reading again through the NRG article, it says specifically ‘IDF soldier watch carefully the refugees do not cut the fence’. It make no sense that they are already inside!
@ Ariel: Of course it makes sense. If they’re inside Israeli territory, the IDF may not want them trying to break into Syrian territory. We’re done with this argument. It’s boring & you’ve had your say. Move on.
@ Ariel: Russia invades other countries airspace regularly & isn’t shot down. It’s submarines violate other nation’s waters regularly. Are you arguing their subs should be torpedoed & destroyed?
RS – I argue they should start with meaningful warning shots and eventually move to the real thing. Obviously Russia is a different story then Syria due to its power but a red line need to be drawn somewhere. Once it’s get blurry, trying to reset it should not be done at once or one may risk an undesirable conflict. But in the case of Israel-Syria, the red line is sharp and bright. Anything less then shooting down that plane would blur it.
When a jet plane is flying hundreds of miles an hour in a very close environment in which mere seconds takes you from one country’s territory to another, you have no time to react & certainly none to fire warning shots. Israel chose to shoot down the plane even though it had encroached by mere scores or hundreds meters into Israeli airspace and such encroachment had lasted for at most a second or two.
There are no clear red lines, sharp bright or otherwise in such situations. All lines are blurry. When you have clear red lines you end up shooting down commercial planes by mistake as has often happened, or military craft on purpose. If Syria was Israel’s military equal, I guarantee that this incident could easily have started a war. The only reason Israel gets away with this shit is its garrison state status as local bully.
RS – the Malaysia Airline disaster has nothing to do with our discussion. They flew on the equivalent aerial of a highway and didn’t break any law (except the law of common sense. Korean Airlines stopped flying there).
From what I know, ALL Israeli shooting incidents in the last years were response to mortar landing in Israel or bullet shot in. Even with a painful reaction from Israel, those incidents repeated itself. Imagine what would have happened if we didn’t react at all.
Picturing Israel as a bully is telling half the story if not less. In today world, rockets have a greater effect then 10 tanks since it can reach civilians directly. Standing on the sidelines and watching them arrive into the hands of Hizbollah (which isn’t Palestinian so cannot be considered freedom fighting) would be irresponsible and harmful. In the long run, these attacks probably saved lives of both sides.
@ Ariel: You seem to take my reply to you as license to fall even farther off-topic. There are scores of examples of civilian airliners shot down by national militaries & I specifically wasn’t thinking of the incident to which you refer & never even brought it up. In fact, the Malaysian plane was shot down by paramilitaries under Russian military direction, so it wasn’t relevant. Israel itself has shot down civilian airliners.
Then you fly even farther off topic by lapsing into a discussion of “rockets,” which wasn’t the subject under discussion at all.
You are moderated for violating comment rules. If you can manage to stay on topic, I might be willing to remove your moderation at some point.
RS – I am not trying to get banned but rather answer two of your points. About the airplane (on which you asked for my opinion), you are right, it was off-topic and Israel did do a mistake in the past.
As for the rockets – You mentioned IAF strikes in the article and update. Is talking about their targets ‘off-topic’? allthemoreso when they are pictured as bullying!
@ Ariel: Let’s see how the moderation works for a few days. Then I’ll reopen the question of removing it. I will approve all comments by you which are on topic & adhere to comment rules.
[comment deleted: accusing me of “making up facts” is a comment rule violation]
“..a FoxNews story which filmed Israeli commandos inside Syria..”
Please. Those pack laden infantrymen walked back into Israel from Syria. These troops obviously hadn’t made a long range reconnaissance penetration into Syria. Probably just a cross border foray to plant intelligence gathering devices.
Well, Israel is one of the local “players” in the Syrian mayhem and has its own “cards” to play. It is already impossible to state clearly who is exactly against whom in the utter chaos there so any move is conceivable.
○ Israeli warplanes strike targets near Damascus | JPost |
Syrian state television said on Sunday that Israeli jets had bombed areas near Damascus international airport and in the town of Dimas, near the border with Lebanon. Strikes allegedly targeted S-300 missile launchers en route to Hezbollah.
Have to “love” the fact that Israeli complaints aren’t about the issue of Nusra fighters being amongst the handful of Syrians treated, but that they’re treating Syrians (Arabs) at all. “They hate us, it’s in their blood” and all the rest of that worthless rot.
You seem to be lumping all the rebels together. From what i understand israel is helping the rebel druze who live close to the syrian side of the golan border. It seems logical to me.
@ ben: Why is it “logical” for Israel to sabotage another country and violate its sovereignty??
@ Richard because those two countries are “technically” at state of cold war. Without formal peace and recognition it would be asinine not to want to create a buffer zone around your controlled areas.
@ ben: Israel has no right under international law to conquer and steal the land of another country, while refusing to negotiate for its return. So what you define as “asinine” is actually international law, the kind the rest of us try to live by. If you prefer piracy and banditry gussied up as the Israeli Zionist David fighting against big, bad Arab Goliath, be my guest. Pathetic, but be my guest to your delusion.
Why is it logical for Iran, Hezbollah and foreign jihadis to sabotage Syria and violate its sovereignty?
@ Red Eft: Well, first of all because the ruler of the country, who was besieged by Sunni jihadi foreign fighters, invited them to help him survive.
But if you don’t like foreign intervention, I’m with you. The next time Israel goes to war and almost runs out of bullets as happened in 1973, you’ll oppose outside U.S. intervention, I presume, in the form of replenishing Israeli weapons stocks??? If not, methinks I smell a hypocrite.
RS:”Why is it “logical” for Israel to sabotage another country and violate its sovereignty??” In the mean time hundreds of civilians are killed and you are concerened with a state that bouchers its citizens.
@ Gilead: I’m more concerned with a state that butchers its neighbors. That would be Israel.
The blog’s about Israel, or did you forget? Not about Syria.
I suppose the difference in shades is that while Syria butchers its citizens, at least Israel only butchers the people it occupies and that places Israel in a more righteous position?
I don’t believe Israel or any of its Jewish Blind Supporters are in a position to claim high ground.
Judging from Israel’s past behavior when Arab nations are in a state of war or instability, Israel works with both sides, supplying both sides, in order to bleed the entire lot down. Israel did this in Ethiopia, Somalia, Iraq-Iran, Iraqi Kurds today, Hamas-Fatah, Hizballah, Lebanon, and now, (quelle surprise!!) Syria (forgive me if I missed some other places).
As Beging once said, “Goyim killing Goyim”.
Israelis are not fools, that is why I am surprised at how eagerly they embrace misguided, short-tern policies, believing they will serve Israeli interests in the long term. They haven’t so far, except to make more determined enemies against Israel and in greater numbers; something else both Israel and the US, have in common, apart from genocide of the native people.
“Ethiopia, Somalia, Iraq-Iran, Iraqi Kurds today, Hamas-Fatah, Hizballah, Lebanon”
What lovely neighbors Israel has.
@ Red Eft: All those countries see Israel precisely the same way Israel apologists like you see them, and with a lot more reason on their side, since Israel is a rogue state.
Please do not publish more than three comments in a single 24 hr period. This avoids the tendency to monopolize the threads.
Red Eft. I know you don’t see it this way, but when you are wallowing in a sewer, like Israel is, you really cannot point to others in the sewer and call them filthy.
[comment deleted: this comment is off-topic. Do not put other commenters into a position of having to respond to questions designed to embarrass them. I detest Gotcha comments like this.]
There are 182 million Pakistanis. I wasn’t singling out one Pakistani-American.
@ Lou:
Sure you were. You demanded that Jafar explain to you a Pakistani national policy. He’s under no obligation to do so. Nor was your comment on topic.
Lou. The pot calling the kettle black does not put a shine on the pot, it (Israel) remains a black, soot-covered pot. I know most ot the members of the so-called “Judeo-Christian Civilization” (JCC) would like to see me as an outsider who has no business in matters regarding Israel and the US (and the West). You and the JCC would like me to shut up or “go back where I came from”.
I am sorry to disagree, but I am an American and have every intention of remaining so. When I see things that offend me or my morality or my sencse of justcie, I will call them out and I really do not care who the recipient of my ire is that the time. While I call Pakistan (and other Muslim-majority countries…check out my blog), I particularly call out Israe because I feel it should lead in morality of nations after the massive horrors Jews have suffered through…one would hope that is sufficient a cause fo senstivity and compassion. I also excoriate the US BECAUSE it is my country and I feel it needs to occupy the high ground, not take the lowest possible path. The US is also the land of my future generations and I’ll be damned if I will allow my country to go to the Hell of Israel and the rest of the Middle East, without a fight from me.
Me, embarrased? Nope. Proud and ready to fight any bigot who thinks they have better rights than I have, just because they are of a different race or religion.
If Israel didn’t exist neither would Hamas, Fatah nor Hizballah.
Exclusive: Israel Is Tending to Wounded Syrian Rebels | FP June 2014 |
Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a spokesman for the IDF, said the Israeli government has provided medical assistance to more than 1,000 Syrians over the past 14 months.
…
Some 400 armed opposition fighters, backed by artillery fire from three tanks, seized a Syrian military outpost atop a hill at Tal al-Garbi, planting four black flags and raising concern that extremist groups are moving into the zone. More than two weeks later, opposition fighters captured two other strategically important hilltop military outposts in Tal al-Jabiya and Tal al-Sharqi. See UN map above.
“In the afternoon of 24 April, two members of the armed opposition displayed the severed head of a presumed Syrian armed forces officer as they passed” a U.N. outpost, according to the report. By the end of April, U.N. observers “detected the flying of black flags believed to be associated with militant groups scattered throughout the central and southern part of the area of separation, including three Syrian armed forces positions captured by the armed members of the opposition.”
○ FSA rebel commander says he collaborated with Israel near Quneitra