Daily Alert Archives

Does the U.S. Attack in Syria Risk a Regional War?

(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Yoni Ben Menachem - The American military response to Syria's use of chemical weapons has created a crisis between the superpowers that has no end in sight. Assad is known as stubborn and vengeful, and Putin will not easily forgive this blow to his honor and wants to prove that he, and not Trump, is the strongest leader in the world. Moderate Sunnis welcomed the American attack, apart from Egypt, which maintained a neutral stance and called on Russia and the U.S. to contain the crisis. Russia has announced that it will strengthen Syria's aerial defenses. This could be dangerous to Israel if Syria, for example, receives air defense systems of the S-400 type that could endanger the Israeli air force. Moreover, President Putin's rebuke to Prime Minister Netanyahu, that he supported the American position on the chemical attack in Idlib without waiting for an international investigation, is a worrying sign that could impact on Israel's demand that Russia not allow Iran to hold onto Syria. The writer is a veteran Arab affairs and diplomatic commentator for Israel Radio and Television.
2017-04-10 00:00:00
Full Article