(National Interest) Ari Heistein - Israel's declaration of support for Kurdish independence was probably not an important factor in Erbil's decision to hold the referendum. Israel's rhetorical support and limited under-the-table cooperation should not have significantly altered Erbil's calculations. In fact, the Kurds had a number of compelling reasons for moving towards independence at this time, including the belief that they had a small window during which they would receive U.S. support before Washington disengaged from Iraq. At the same time, Israel had much to gain and very little to lose from supporting Kurdish independence. Having an ally along the Iranian and Turkish borders could have provided Israel with a platform to counterbalance the strategies of Teheran and Ankara, which seek to apply pressure on Israel by allying with hostile entities on its border. The writer is a special assistant to the director at the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel.
2017-11-22 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive