Israel to Assad - Get rid of your Iranian allies, they will harm you

 

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman gestures as he speaks during the Herzliya Conference, in Herzliya, Israel, May 10, 2018. REUTERS/Nir Elias

 

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's Defence Minister warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday to renounce the Iranian military presence in his country, saying the activities of Assad's staunchest regional ally would only cause "damage and problems".

 

Speaking on a tour of the Golan Heights, the minister, Avigdor Lieberman, told Assad to beware especially of Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's Quds Force, the branch of its Revolutionary Guards that oversees operations outside Iran's borders.

 

"I have a message for Assad: Get rid of the Iranians, get rid of Qassem Soleimani and the Quds force, they are not helping you, they are only harming."

 

"Their presence will only cause problems and damage. Get rid of the Iranians and we can, perhaps, change our mode of life here," he said.

 

On Thursday, Israel accused Iran of firing rockets from Syria into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the first time that Iran has attacked Israel with rockets.

 

Israel struck back with its heaviest air strikes in Syria since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, saying it had attacked nearly all of Iran's military infrastructure.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-05-12

Whilst it is improbable - no unimaginable - that Assad would take any such advice from Israel, I would suggest that he has no real say in the matter. The Iranians have established a significant military presence in Syria, with the aim of conducting operations against Israel. They won't take a blind bit of notice of anything Assad may say or think.

 

Israel is going to have to fight for its survival again, soon.

Edited May 12, 20188 yr by JAG

 Nonsense!!

The US as an agent of Israel is applying influence in the region and Iran is supposed to stay idle.

Nonsense for the consumption of the feeble minded, of which there seem to be no short supply.

I'm very disappointed in Putin and his roll as protector of Assad/Syria .

Having talks with Israel just before the last Israeli strike .

Israel's usual stance.  "Do what we say or we'll bomb you to to hell and then raise our eyes to heaven and claim self-defence"

Israel's usual stance.  "Do what we say or we'll bomb you to to hell and then raise our eyes to heaven and claim self-defence"

Sounds like the rhetoric of people that would like to see Israel wiped out.

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7 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Sounds like the rhetoric of people that would like to see Israel wiped out.

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No, the rhetoric of reasonable people who are sick to the back teeth of the relentless charade to which the rest of the world turns a blind eye.

But yours is the typical response of any criticism of the Israeli government is an attack on the concept of Israel.

Says the nation that has virtually annexed the Golan Heights.

Says the nation that has virtually annexed the Golan Heights.

I'm convinced they need it for defense to continue to survive. Have you looked at a map? People that want to trash Israel if you really don't think you're on the side of Iran that wants to wipe out Israel I suggest you temper your comments with cleat indications that you support Israel's right to exist. I support Iran's right to exist.

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1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

I'm convinced they need it for defense to continue to survive. Have you looked at a map? People that want to trash Israel if you really don't think you're on the side of Iran that wants to wipe out Israel I suggest you temper your comments with cleat indications that you support Israel's right to exist. I support Iran's right to exist.

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As in the Palestinian territories, Israel could make a case for a military occupation. But not so much for appropriation and colonization.

As in the Palestinian territories, Israel could make a case for a military occupation. But not so much for appropriation and colonization.

I was speaking specifically of the Golan Heights.

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1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

I was speaking specifically of the Golan Heights.

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Well then, in the case of the Golan Heights, Israel could have chosen simply to have a military occupation instead of seizing property and effectively colonizing it. Better now?

2 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Well then, in the case of the Golan Heights, Israel could have chosen simply to have a military occupation instead of seizing property and effectively colonizing it. Better now?

Yes.

10 hours ago, JAG said:

Whilst it is improbable - no unimaginable - that Assad would take any such advice from Israel, I would suggest that he has no real say in the matter. The Iranians have established a significant military presence in Syria, with the aim of conducting operations against Israel. They won't take a blind bit of notice of anything Assad may say or think.

 

Israel is going to have to fight for its survival again, soon.

 

I think Assad is able, at least to a degree, to rein Iranian activities within Syria. Whether he'll do so is another matter. And while Iran does have a lot of clout with Assad, there's at least another influential party involved, Russia. Russian interests coincide with those of Iran up to a point, and I don't think this covers a regional war. What Putin is after relates more to restoring Assad's control of Syria and stabilizing the country. While a minor conflict may help Russia assert its renewed position in the ME, these things are often unpredictable and messy. Doubt Assad will make overt significant moves with regard to the Iranian military presence, but perhaps new understandings could be reached.

 

As for Israel having to "fight for its survival again" - the Iranian military presence in Syria is not, currently, or in the near future, an existential threat to Israel. The aim of the aggressive Israeli policy seems to be negating conditions allowing it to develop to such a threat.

 

 

7 hours ago, BuaBS said:

I'm very disappointed in Putin and his roll as protector of Assad/Syria .

Having talks with Israel just before the last Israeli strike .

 

Russia is not the protector of Iranian forces in Syria. And Russian interests may vary from those of Iran, or even Assad's.

 

4 hours ago, lungbing said:

Israel's usual stance.  "Do what we say or we'll bomb you to to hell and then raise our eyes to heaven and claim self-defence"

 

The purpose of the Iranian military presence in Syria is, nominally, to aid Assad's regime regain control of the country. The remaining opposition to Assad's rule does not posses an air force, nor does attacking it requires ballistic missiles. Iranian efforts to set up such capabilities on Syrian soil are not carried out with the nominal goal in mind.

 

With Iran's support, Lebanon's Hezbollah became a formidable force, and a credible threat to Israel's security. I think what Israel tries to prevent is Iran setting up a similar front based in Syria.

 

 

2 hours ago, bristolboy said:

Says the nation that has virtually annexed the Golan Heights.

 

Which got little to do with the topic. Iran's military presence is not aimed to winning back the Golan Heights for Assad. The same military presence does little to convince Israelis control of the Golan Heights are not essential to the country's security - quite the opposite, probably.

Iran get back to your own country, quit supporting the war criminal Assad.

Geezer