Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman made it clear during a tour of the settlements on the Lebanese border on Thursday that despite the discussions and agreements that are taking shape in the world regarding the day after the war, Israel is not obligated to adhere to any of them.
Liberman said that the agreements in the Middle East dealing with the day after the war in Syria are not valid for Israel, and that it places its security interests first.
The defense minister was alluding to the frequent meetings (10 so far) of representatives from Russia, Iran, and Turkey, as well as the US, to discuss new arrangements once the last stronghold of ISIS is cleared, and the last rebel group had either reached a truce with the Assad regime or was liquidated.
“We see various gatherings in various places, in Ankara, in Tehran, in Geneva, after the battle over Idlib, about the reshaping of Syria,” Liberman said, noting, “As far as the State of Israel is concerned, with all due respect and appreciation for all agreements and understandings, it is not binding to us. What obligates us is solely the security interest of the State of Israel.”
“All the other understandings and agreements that are arrived at in all kinds of places, are simply irrelevant to us, and we will be strict about adhering to all the previous agreements,” Liberman reiterated.