Foreign Policy Report on Israel's Role in the Syrian War

The American newspaper Foreign Policy published two reports on Thursday, September 6, and Friday, September 7, claiming the "expansion of Israel's secret war against Iran" and Israel's active participation in military operations in Syria. According to these reports, the Israeli army equipped 12 groups of armed rebels in southern Syria and provided them with financial assistance. The goal of Israel was, on one hand, to prevent the stabilization of ISIS forces in southern Syria and, on the other hand, to counter the potential approach of Iran's allies to its borders. Previously, The Wall Street Journal had reported that Israel was militarily equipping seven different rebel groups in the Syrian Golan Heights, including the Al-Fursan al-Jolan group, whose 400 fighters received about $5,000 monthly. However, according to the new Foreign Policy report, since 2016, under the "Good Neighbor" plan, alongside humanitarian aid, Israel has been supplying various military equipment such as machine guns, mortars, and vehicles to 12 rebel groups from three border points. Foreign Policy added that Israel also provided each of these rebel forces with a monthly payment equivalent to $75, in addition to other financial assistance, which, according to the rebels themselves and local journalists, was used to purchase weapons from the black market. The newspaper reported that the rebels hoped that with this Israeli support, the country would intervene in military operations against Bashar al-Assad to prevent Syrian government forces from approaching southern Syria. However, when Assad's forces and the Russian air force began military operations to drive the rebels out, these rebel groups felt "betrayed" by Israel, as Israel was merely monitoring the situation. Meanwhile, Foreign Policy noted that Israel's assistance to Syrian opponents has not been as significant as the support provided by other regional rivals or enemies of Iran, such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United States. According to the Foreign Policy publication, these Israeli actions coincided with other steps taken by the country in airstrikes against Iranian targets in Syria and exerting political pressure on Iran. Since the beginning of 2017, Israel has repeatedly stated that Iran aims to "stabilize" its military presence in Syria by bringing over 80,000 Shiite fighters from various countries; the Israeli defense minister openly likened this to "putting a noose around Israel's neck," but Iran and Syria, these two long-time friends, still emphasize Iran's "advisory assistance." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in response to the newly signed military agreement between Iran and Syria during Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami's visit to Damascus last week, stated that "no agreement" would prevent Israel from taking necessary actions to ensure its security. The Israeli army confirmed in a statement on September 4 that it had attacked Syria 202 times in the past 18 months, mostly targeting "Iranian objectives." Following this rare statement, several other attacks in Syria were attributed to Israel. The Israeli embassy in the U.S. did not respond to Foreign Policy's report regarding Israel's military and financial assistance to 12 opposition groups in Syria. However, the Israeli army reiterated last Monday that it had "not intervened" in the Syrian civil war. Israeli media reported this summer that military commanders announced the cessation of "humanitarian" shipments across the border, citing that Israel had come to terms with the survival of Bashar al-Assad's regime and was pursuing pressure on Damascus to adhere to the 1974 ceasefire agreement in its negotiations with Russia. Meanwhile, the Israeli defense minister and prime minister stated this week that they consider it their "right" to attack "Iranian targets" in Iraq and "anywhere else," although, according to Israeli state media, the U.S. has asked Israel to "leave Iraq to America." Foreign Policy also noted that despite Israel's "full participation" in military operations in Syria, it remains unclear whether the country has fully achieved its objectives. In this context, an Israeli official confirmed the execution of 200 military attacks on targets in Syrian territory.