(Israel Hayom) Prof. Eyal Zisser - For a while it seemed the Syrian rebels could topple the regime, but they failed to form a united, effective diplomatic and military front to lead them to victory. Instead they let radical Islamist groups abscond with their revolution and turn it into a religious war. But Assad's victory is hollow and deficient. Syria has been almost completely destroyed. It will take years and billions of dollars to rehabilitate the country. Moreover, Assad owes his victory to the Russians and Iranians, who actually call the shots in Syria now. Israel has come to terms with Assad's victory and his expected return to the border frontier on the Golan Heights. Ever since the Yom Kippur War in 1973, the Assad family has upheld the quiet along the Golan border and Jerusalem hasn't forgotten this. The writer, vice rector at Tel Aviv University, is former director of its Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies.
2018-07-10 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive