Is ’Israel’ on the Brink of a New Adventure in Syria? How Wise Is It?

By Al-Ahed News

Following “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent statements, in which he openly declared new demands regarding southern Syria during the closing ceremony of an officers’ course, questions have emerged about "Israel’s" strategy in the region. Netanyahu stated, “We demand the complete evacuation of southern Syria from the military forces of the new regime. We will not tolerate any threat to the Druze in southern Syria.”

The “Israeli” newspaper “Maariv” spoke with Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Jack Neria, former political advisor to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, current chairman of the “Ramat Gan” Academy, and senior researcher at the “Jerusalem” [Al-Quds] Center for Security and Foreign Affairs. Neria expressed skepticism regarding the potential ramifications of this new policy and warned against deepening involvement.

“I hope we do not embark on a new adventure similar to what happened in Lebanon with the Christians, and now with the Druze in Syria,” Neria cautioned. “We must acknowledge that the Druze are an integral part of Syria and that they were at the forefront of the revolution against the French mandate.”

According to Neria, the demand to demilitarize southern Syria is excessive and may lead to unpredictable consequences. He remarked, “I see various reports in the media about a supposed Druze-Kurdish alliance that would form an axis encircling Syria’s center, effectively dividing the country as it was under the French mandate. However, this scenario is unlikely because key regional powers will strongly oppose it. Chief among them is Turkey, which would never accept the establishment of such an entity, given its potential negative impact on Turkish national interests.”

Neria also cast doubt on "Israel’s" capacity to exert meaningful influence over developments in the region. “From an Arab perspective, forging a Druze-Kurdish alliance is unrealistic. I am uncertain to what extent ‘Israel’ can shape events occurring just fifty kilometers away.”

Maariv noted that Neria’s perspective paints a complex picture of the situation in southern Syria, raising pressing questions about the role "Israel" seeks to play in the region. Will "Israel" succeed in securing its interests without entangling itself in yet another perilous conflict? Time will tell.