(Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies-Bar-Ilan University) Shaul Shay - In the last decades an Iran-dominated Shia Crescent was considered the main threat to Israeli and regional security. However, the growing involvement of Sunni Salafi jihadis in Iraq (since 2003), among the rebels in Syria (since 2011), and in Lebanon has created a "Salafi Crescent," reflecting a Sunni ambition to establish a caliphate controlling much of the Middle East. Such a Sunni jihadist-dominated region would become a safe haven for Islamic terror groups and a platform to launch jihad against Israel and moderate Arab countries. Col. (res.) Dr. Shaul Shay, a research associate at the BESA Center, is a former Deputy Head of the Israel National Security Council.
2014-01-23 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive