Syria war keeps Israel safe from attacks: Pundit

Press TV has interviewed Naseer al-Omari, a writer and political commentator from New York, to further discuss Israel’s recent airstrikes on Syrian army positions in the Golan Heights.

Press TV: This is not the first time that we’ve seen Israel hitting targets within Syria, specifically along the Golan Heights. When Israel does that, who does it benefit?

Al-Omari: I think it benefits itself and it sends a message to all factions fighting in Syria that it holds the Syrian government responsible for any attacks on its borders as they have made it clear. In other words, it doesn’t matter who is firing at Israel, they will always hold the regime responsible for it and respond to the Syrian army. I believe that Israel is very comfortable nowadays with everybody busy fighting each other in Syria. They have had safe and secure borders for many years now and it’s actually Syria that has become the Wild West right now with all these factions fighting and civilians paying a heavy price.

Press TV: Are you saying that Israel is very comfortable if groups like Jabhat al-Nusra (whatever its new name is) or Daesh are the ones that rule at the end of the day?

Al-Omari: The Israeli media has said that for the last 10 years since the 2006 skirmish with Hezbollah in Lebanon, they have not lost but one soldier and four injured. So, Israel is not worried about the Syrian regime or Hezbollah or anybody else right now. Because Muslims and Arabs are busy fighting each other, unfortunately. And there is no reason for Israel to be even worried about the Golan Heights or any attacks coming from Syria.

Press TV: Would you say that Israel has a stake in the crisis in Syria to see that certain elements continue to wreak havoc in the country be it Daesh, be it al-Nusra Front or be it some other group?

Al-Omari: At this point, we have made it clear that the collapse of, disintegration of Syria, the weakness of the Syrian government, the Hezbollah being in Syria instead of Lebanon at the Israeli border, all of these things, in addition to ISIS busy killing Syrians, they have made it clear that this has placed Israel in a very safe place. However, the old fight in Syria might spill into Israel at some point, because a country like Syria cannot  keep disintegrating without everybody paying heavy price, as we have seen, for example, in Turkey with their problem with ISIS now and all these bombings. So, no country is immune. It’s in everybody’s interest to see Syria stabilized, including Israel.

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