|
Trending Topics
|
Source: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/israeli-actions-in-sweida-are-both-moral-and-strategic/
Israeli Actions in Sweida Are Both Moral and Strategic
(Times of Israel) Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin - Last week, just a few dozen miles from Israel's northern border, a brutal massacre unfolded in southern Syria's Sweida province against the Druze minority, an Arabic-speaking community that has long lived in the region. Faced with harrowing images of kidnappings, executions, and mass violence, Israel chose to act cautiously and proportionally: first by sending discreet warnings to the Syrian regime and then launching strikes against jihadist militias in Sweida. When those measures failed, Israel escalated, targeting the Syrian Ministry of Defense and general staff in Damascus for the first time since 1973. That strike was effective and helped bring about a ceasefire, brokered by America. Israel did not act to gain territory or interfere in Syria's sovereignty. It acted to protect civilians, specifically a minority community with which it shares a deep historical bond. The Druze in Israel serve in the military, hold public office, and form an integral part of Israel's social fabric. Israel's intervention also served its national interests. Sweida sits in a region increasingly contested by jihadist groups, Iranian proxies, and tribal militias. Syrian President Al-Sharaa's inability or unwillingness to stop the attacks by Sunni Bedouin tribes on Druze villages raises serious questions. Israel's actions in Sweida were guided not only by conscience but by a clear-eyed assessment of strategic needs: preventing direct threats to its northeastern border, blocking renewed Iranian entrenchment near the Golan Heights, and containing Turkish military influence in southern Syria. Israel's measured escalation, preceded by backchannel warnings and initially limited military action, demonstrates that it is not seeking confrontation. Rather, it is pursuing stability, protection of minorities, and long-term deterrence. The writer is a former chief of Israeli Military Intelligence.