Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman told Israel Radio on Sunday morning that Israel has no reason to become involved in the Syrian civil war, and that the only reason it does attack inside Syria’s territory is to prevent arm shipments from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
He warned that “every time we’ll identify a smuggling attempt we will act to foil the shipment of tie-breaking weaponry.”
Liberman then warned Syria that should it attack Israeli planes in its sky one more time, “we will destroy those Syrian anti-aircraft systems.”
Incidentally, according to the website Is Ismail Haniyeh Dead Yet? Liberman is yet to make good on an earlier warning he made back in April 2016, “If I’m the defense minister, I give Mr. Haniyeh (Ismail Abdel Salam Ahmed Haniyeh, a senior political leader of Hamas) 48 hours: either you return the [IDF soldiers’] bodies and the [two wayward Israeli] civilians [held by Hamas], or you’re dead.”
So, maybe the Syrians don’t have to be so alarmed by the most recent Liberman threat. Same goes for the Eli yeshiva, which he threatened to shut down a week ago.
As to the Russian presence in Syria, Liberman said the last thing Israel wants is tension with Russia, but Israel values its own security above anything else.
Liberman also referred to the brewing coalition crisis between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kulanu Chairman and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon over the future of Israel’s broadcast authority. Liberman, who was visiting an IDF enlistment center on a day when armored corps recruits were being absorbed told reporters that “new elections are the last thing the nation of Israel needs at this time, which is why I hope a compromise will be found. There is no reason to break up the existing coalition.”
So that’s two last things Liberman needs at this time: a conflict with Russia and new elections.