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Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-882549
Israel-Syria Talks Advance, but Key Security Questions Remain
(Jerusalem Post) Herb Keinon - When Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was deposed in November 2024, Israel faced uncertainty from a state crowded with armed groups, many of them openly hostile to Israel. Israel had no idea who would ultimately control Syria - or even which parts of it - and could not risk strategic areas so close to its border falling into the hands of Iranian-allied militias, Hizbullah, jihadist factions, or ISIS. So within days of Assad's fall, Israel moved decisively: destroying Syria's air force, navy, and heavy weapons depots to prevent them from falling into dangerous hands, and taking control of a wide swath of southern Syrian territory, including the Syrian side of Mount Hermon. The nightmare scenario in Jerusalem is a buildup of jihadist forces on another border directly adjacent to Israeli communities - this time in the Golan Heights - paralleling the situation near Gaza prior to Oct. 7. Israel wants to see southern Syria demilitarized, strong enforcement mechanisms put into place, protections for minority communities - especially the Druze in Sweida - and continued freedom of action against emerging threats. However, there is a disagreement between Washington and Jerusalem over what security actually means. For Washington, "demilitarization" means no heavy weapons beyond a defined line, limits on the number of forces in the defined zone, international monitors, and procedures in place to address violations. For Jerusalem, what is needed is a buffer zone under effective Israeli control, with IDF operational freedom, intelligence capabilities, and the ability to act preemptively.