Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, told thousands of participants at the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee convention in Washington DC on Sunday that Israel is “dead serious” about enforcing its red lines in Syria.
Dermer reviewed the events of last month, in which an Iranian military stealth drone invaded Israeli airspace from Syria, and was shot down 90 seconds later by the Israel Air Force.
“The situation is very volatile because Iran continues on its mission … to establish permanent military bases in Syria, to establish another terror front to attack Israel from Syria, and also to build factories for precision-guided munitions in Syria and Lebanon,” he told the gathering. “Israel is even more committed to stopping them.”
Dermer pointed out that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been “very clear about his red lines in Syria,” and that “he’s had to enforce those red lines repeatedly.”
What’s important for people to understand, he said, is that Israel is “just not going to allow Iran to advance its aims in Syria.”
He added that it is clear the United States supports Israel’s policy, but that it’s important for other countries around the world who don’t want to see an escalation, or a “wider war,” to back Israel as well.
“I hope they do,” he said, “but we’re dead serious about enforcing our red lines in Syria. I think if people haven’t understood that up until this point, they’ll understand it in the future.”