Haaretz: Increased Level of Israeli Threats Against Iranian Activities in Syria

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Wednesday, July 19, the statements of a former Israeli security and military official describing the 'increased level of Israeli threats against Iran' in connection with Syria. Retired General Yaakov Amidror, a former national security advisor to Israel, stated on Monday, July 17, that Israel 'must not allow' Syria to become a new base for Iranian and Hezbollah attacks against Israel 'at any cost.' This former military official added that if the U.S., Russia, and other parties involved in agreements related to Syria do not consider Israel's requests, the Israeli army must thwart any Iranian attempt to turn Syria into a new base for actions against Israel. General Amidror further stated, 'We must not allow the Iranians and Hezbollah to exploit their victory in the long Syrian war to focus on Israel.' Haaretz noted that although General Amidror is no longer an official military figure, he still holds influence in the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, and 'there is no doubt that foreign governments monitoring regional issues take his statements into account.' General Amidror is currently responsible for the 'Israel Project' organization. According to Haaretz, Amidror's background and identity in making these statements provide reassurance to Benjamin Netanyahu, as on one hand, the explicit threat from Iran and Hezbollah is not the official position of Israel, but on the other hand, ignoring such a threat is also difficult. Haaretz recalled that Netanyahu also spoke about Iran's presence in Syria on Sunday, July 24 (during a trip to Paris following a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron), just one day before General Amidror's press conference. In Paris, Netanyahu stated that the ceasefire agreement established in Syria, which is supposed to keep Iran and its allies 20 kilometers away from the Syrian border with Israel, actually 'reinforces and stabilizes them throughout Syria.' Simultaneously, other Israeli officials also told the media that Iran is seeking to establish naval and air bases in Syria, in addition to the presence of thousands of its military personnel and Hezbollah fighters. An unnamed Israeli official told Haaretz that the 'very bad' ceasefire agreement in Syria 'did not address any of Israel's needs.' However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov responded on Monday that his country and the U.S. 'have done everything in their power for a guaranteed ceasefire agreement, including addressing Israel's needs.' The ceasefire agreement in southwestern Syria has been in effect since July 9; the U.S., Russia, and Jordan have worked towards achieving this ceasefire, and according to the Russian Foreign Minister, Israel was also informed about it. However, Haaretz reported that Israel is skeptical that this ceasefire can keep Iranian soldiers and Hezbollah fighters 20 kilometers away from the Syrian border with Israel. According to this report, Israel has also intensified warnings to Lebanon regarding the potential consequences of Hezbollah's movements. Haaretz noted that although an Israeli attack on Iranian bases in Syria is not expected soon, for the first time, Netanyahu is willing to openly confront the Trump administration due to its position on Syria. According to this report, Netanyahu is suspicious that the U.S. will reduce its military presence in the region following the defeat of ISIS in Raqqa, Syria, and will accommodate Iran's strengthening in Syria. Haaretz stated that even if Washington (on Tuesday, July 18) announced sanctions against 18 individuals and entities, mostly Iranian, for 'Iran's support of terrorism,' the fact that the Trump administration confirmed this week, in the second year of the JCPOA, that Iran has adhered to its commitments under the agreement, has not been readily accepted by Israel. Haaretz added that the contradictory messages from Washington, along with Israel's warnings, reflect the fluid situation regarding Syria and Iran, which is why Israel continues to exert pressure in hopes of improving American agreements to meet its needs. According to Iranian media, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry reiterated this week that 'Iran's powerful presence in Syria is at the request of the Syrian government.' Bahram Qasemi added, 'The victories that the Resistance Front has achieved in Syria have disrupted previous predictions and the perceptions of some major and regional powers regarding the future of Syria.' The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, in response to questions from Iranian media regarding Israeli claims about Iran purchasing a military airport in Syria to deploy its military forces there, stated that 'these statements create confusion in public opinion in the region and the Islamic world and are part of the psychological warfare that the Zionist regime has had and will continue to have.'