Netanyahu Threatens More Attacks on Syria

Denies Preferring Assad to Syria's Rebels

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated threats to launch more attacks against Syria, saying Israel remains prepared to “take action” against Syria for the sake of Israeli security.

Netanyahu warned of the “leakage” of weapons from Syria into neighboring Lebanon as a primary reason for such moves, though officially the Israeli government hasn’t admitted its past attacks and has only vaguely referenced them.

Netanyahu also denied previous reports, attributed to Israeli intelligence agencies, saying his government preferred Syrian President Bashar Assad to the rebels. Netanyahu insisted it was “untrue” but didn’t say if he preferred one side or the other.

That’s unlikely to change, as both Syria’s government and rebels have tried to claim Israel was backing the other, in hopes of gaining popular support by being on the opposite side. The reality is that Israel’s attacks don’t seem to be aimed at anything in particular related to Syria’s civil war, and are simply attacks centered on Israel’s belief that there won’t be retaliation.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is news editor of