MKs urge reinforcing regional alliances, Israel's borders after fall of Assad regime
Lapid urged Israel to strengthen regional alliances with Saudi Arabia and the Abraham Accords nations to confront growing instability in the region.
Israeli politicians proposed various strategies in response to the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria on Sunday.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid on Sunday said Israel should strengthen regional alliances with Saudi Arabia and the Abraham Accords nations to confront growing instability in the region.
He called for a comprehensive diplomatic initiative to enhance regional stability, which he said would also strengthen Israel’s position in Gaza and the West Bank.
מול האירועים בסוריה חשוב יותר מתמיד ליצור קואליציה איזורית חזקה, עם סעודיה ומדינות הסכמי אברהם, כדי להתמודד ביחד עם חוסר היציבות האיזורי. הציר האיראני נחלש באופן משמעותי, וישראל צריכה לחתור להישג מדיני כולל שיסייע לה גם בעזה וביו"ש
— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) December 8, 2024
Lapid emphasized the need for cooperation with key regional partners to address shared security challenges and promote peace and stability.
Chikli calls to reclaim Mount Hermon
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed ministers on Sunday not to comment publicly on events unfolding in Syria. Likud MKs were also instructed not to comment.
In an earlier post on X/Twitter, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli (Likud) said Israel should reclaim Mount Hermon and establish a defensive line along the 1974 ceasefire boundary to counter regional threats and prevent extremist groups from gaining a foothold near its borders.
הארועים בסוריה רחוקים מלהיות סיבה למסיבה. למרות הריברנדינג של הייאת תחריר א-שאם ומנהיגה אחמד א שרע, בשורה התחתונה מרבית סוריה נמצאת כעת בשליטת ארגוני בת של אל- קאעידה ודעאש. החדשות הטובות הן התחזקות הכורדים והרחבת שליטתם בצפון מזרח המדינה (מרחב דיר א-זור). אופרטיבית על ישראל… pic.twitter.com/AJG3fhFrji
— עמיחי שיקלי - Amichai Chikli (@AmichaiChikli) December 8, 2024
He warned about the increasing presence of jihadist groups in Syria. Even though Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its leader, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, have rebranded, much of Syria remains under the influence of al-Qaeda and ISIS affiliates, he said.The expansion of Kurdish control in northeastern Syria was a positive development, Chikli said, but decisive action must be taken to prevent extremist groups from gaining a foothold near Israeli communities.
Israel must pay attention
Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman on Sunday said Israel must pay special attention to how the events in Syria will affect Jordan.There was a “not insignificant” number of refugees from Iraq and Syria in Jordan, he told 103FM, adding that “stability in Jordan is the basic thing that Israel must track.”“The rebels are not all the same,” he said. “There are all shapes and sizes: Al-Qaeda, Islamic State, and the Free Syrian Army. Will they try to advance from Syria to Jordan?”“The fall of dictators in Iraq and Libya did not necessarily bring stability and calm to the area and did not really help the State of Israel either,” Liberman said. “What is clear is that the big losers are Iran, which according to estimates, invested between $15 billion to $17b. in Syria, including tenders to search for chemicals and oil, purchasing real estate, military bases, and militias.”
'Either you're strong, or you're destroyed'
Religious Zionist Party MK Ohad Tal said the developments in Syria “have reminded us once again of the basic rule in the Middle East: Either you’re strong, or you’re destroyed. If Israel isn’t strong, it simply won’t exist. The Iranian-Shiite axis has suffered another heavy defeat, but undoubtedly, (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan’s radical Turkey will try to take its place along with the Islamist militias it supports.”“Israel must seize the opportunity to create a new buffer zone, establishing defensible borders in the Golan and Lebanon,” he said. “We cannot miss this historic opportunity.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
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