(Institute for National Security Studies-Tel Aviv University) Yoram Schweitzer - While it is true that the Islamic State has managed to establish control over the locations it has conquered and attract tens of thousands of Muslim volunteers from all over the world, it also seems that the intervention of coalition forces, which is still in the early stages, has already succeeded in stopping the rapid spread of ISIS. Israel must view Baghdadi's rhetoric against "the Judeo-Crusader alliance," and especially his explicit reference to the help Israel is extending to the coalition dedicated to his demise, as a warning of a possible change in IS priorities. In the not-too-distant future, IS may act, directly or via its like-minded partners, against Israeli and Jewish targets in Israel and abroad. The writer is head of the INSS Program on Terrorism and Low Intensity Conflict, following a distinguished career in the Israeli intelligence community.
2014-12-01 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive