By:  ICEJ News

Analysts weigh in on risks and highlights

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman made a startling announcement Thursday morning, telling the Knesset Affairs and Defense Committee that reports of Israel launching military strikes on the Mezzeh military air field near Damascus the previous day were true. He added that the strike had been carried out to prevent chemical weapons from being transferred to the Lebanese Shi’ite terror militia Hezbollah.

“Israel has no interest in intervening in the civil war in Syria, our policies and our positions are very clear and are based on three red lines: we will not allow any harm to come to Israeli citizens, we will not allow any harm to the sovereignty of the State of Israel and we will not allow the smuggling of sophisticated weapons or chemical weapons from Syria to Lebanon for Hezbollah,” Liberman said. “The State of Israel will make decisions freely regardless of other circumstances.”

Israel, is “working primarily to protect the security of our citizens, defend our sovereignty, and try to prevent the smuggling of sophisticated weapons, military equipment and weapons of mass destruction from Syria to Hezbollah,” he added.

The bold pronouncement was a break with usual Israeli policy of not commenting publicly on reports in foreign media about its alleged covert military activities.