(Ynet News) Alex Fishman - For at least six months, Israel has been exercising restraint over Syrian anti-aircraft fire at Israel Air Force planes, warning that if the fire doesn't stop, Syrian missile batteries will be targeted. Since March 2017, Syria has changed its policy and has attempted to shoot down Israeli photography and patrol flights quite a few times, while Israel has avoided reporting these events. After realizing that the Iranians were not taking Israel seriously either (Tehran appeared unfazed by the Israeli warning that it would not accept permanent Iranian bases on Syrian soil), Israel could no longer afford to keep threatening without responding. On Monday, the IDF made it clear to the Iranians as well that the Israelis are dead serious. Israel not only attacked a Syrian missile battery but also made the strike public. The air strike cannot be disconnected from Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's visit to Israel. An Israeli attack on a Syrian military facility, deep within Syria, while the Russian defense minister is in Israel, conveys the message to the Syrians: Russia won't automatically back you. Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman also approved a strike in Syria several months ago while meeting with the Russians in Moscow. He explained that the Russians despise weakness and don't respect those who don't fight for their interests.
2017-10-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive