Attack on Syria

Israel has always acted from a place of arrogance and always sure that the US will legitimise its action as just.

Israel began a dangerous game on May 5, when it unleashed its second raid in 48 hours into Syria. A host of international community members, including the United Nations, warned that this could trigger a regional crisis. Israel claims the raids targeted Iranian weapons that were bound for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which, along with Iran, are allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Iran has long denied charges that it is acquiring atomic weapons but the accusation now threatens to spill into the Syrian conflict. Syrian Information Minister Omran alZoubie said Israeli aggression could “open the door to all possibilities”, echoing concerns that the conflict could spiral out of control in an already volatile region that is home to endless bloodshed. More than 70,000 people have been killed since an uprising against the Assad regime began in Syria in March 2011. There have been scores of massacres, a great number of Arab League meetings, Friends of Syria meetings and so on but nothing seems to bring the world closer to a solution on Syria, i.e., an exit for Assad, and US President Barack Obama remains steadfast in his refusal to send troops to Syria.

Israel has always acted from a place of arrogance, with little regard for international law, and always sure that the US will legitimise its action as just. In the latest attacks, it knew that it was giving Assad little room to manoeuvre because an already embattled Syrian regime would make all the right noises about striking back, but would have to think long and hard before dragging Israel and, in effect, the US, into conflict. However, it would be foolish for Israel to continue with its irresponsible ways and assume that any one party does or does not want to engage in conflict because it runs the risk of dragging an entire region into a conflict from which it could take decades to embroil oneself out of. For this, the United Nations and the US must pressure Israel to see right and do right, before it is too late.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2013.