September 3, 2013

After the shock of the US decision to "postpone" the attack on Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to northern occupied Palestine to participate in the dedication ceremony of the "new Golani interchange." He used the opportunity to contain Israel's disappointment that Obama has not yet ordered a strike on Syria, in addition to praising, once again, Israel's defense and deterrence capabilities.

"Our state is peaceful, certain of the strength of the Israel Defense Forces and sure of itself because it knows that it can defend itself," Netanyahu declared, stressing that he "will not allow anyone to harm the State of Israel."

Speaking in front of an audience, in the wake of the panic that prevailed in the past few days, Netanyahu asked them "to go out and enjoy the [Rosh Hashanah] holiday [on Wednesday] and if someone thinks of harming the tranquility of the holiday, he knows what awaits him.”

On the other hand, Israeli President Shimon Peres spoke about Obama's decision to wait for the approval of Congress before ordering a strike on Syria. "The final decision has not yet been taken," he told Israeli Army Radio.

"The situation will not remain the same, but war is also a big problem, and I am confident that the US will attack Syria. Around the world, people are getting killed. But such an attack [chemical weapons] never happened before. The world does not want to see weapons of mass destruction being used."

Peres repeated the mantra, "Israel will not enter into the war. Our intervention is not needed and unnecessary." As for Obama, "I trust him on anything connected to Israel," Peres maintained.

For his part, Israeli Army Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, during a visit to a navy base in Haifa, said that the strong regional tremor over the past two years proves, once again, the need to keep the Israeli army on a high level of alert for any possible scenario. He maintained that all equipment and systems are ready to go based on his visits to army bases.

On the occasion of Rosh Hashanah, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in the Knesset said that many sides are trying to get Israel involved in Syria. "I advise everyone not to try us and not to pull us inside," he warned. "Israel is ready and we have answers to all of that. They know this very well in Damascus, Brussels, Moscow, and Beirut's Dahiyeh."

In an atmosphere of disappointment and anxiety about the final US decision, Israeli newspaperMaariv maintained that the US will exchange the military option with diplomatic efforts. "A window of opportunity for a political solution, which could rule out a military operation against Syria, was open with Obama's declaration that he is waiting for the green light from Congress for such an operation," it wrote.

Maariv quoted both a Netanyahu staff member and Israel's Ambassador to the US Michael Oren saying the Obama administration aims to reduce US military presence in the region, to focus on internal issues and shift the focus of attention from the Middle East to the Far East. This explains Netanyahu's fears that US reluctance on Syria could send a message to Tehran that Washington will not use its military to stop Iran's nuclear program. This will also give organizations like Hezbollah more incentive to push the security situation in the Middle East into more turmoil.

"Jerusalem is fearful that Israel will be alone in the military confrontation against Iran's nuclear capabilities, at least without the US," Maarivcontinued. "Some are also skeptical that the US will provide permanent political cover for Israel the day after the attack. Thus, Netanyahu was hoping that a surgical strike in Syria will restore Washington's credibility and enhance US deterrence in the region."

According to the Israeli newspaper, until a few days ago, the assumption in Israel and the West was that only after a surgical attack on Syria will it be possible to attempt a political solution, whether on the future of Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons or an international peace conference, putting an end to the civil war in the devastated country.

More Discontent

Israeli media were rife with disappointment and shock concerning the US turnaround on Syria, warning of its serious ramifications on Israeli interests in the region. Maariv maintained that Tel Aviv was counting on a US strike on Syria to show the Iranians an example of what awaits them if they continue with their nuclear program.

Political affairs analyst in Hebrew language The Jerusalem Post, Ben Caspit, wrote that Obama wishes he could go back one year and make the "red line" speech about Syria's chemical weapons, "but without mentioning the red line." According to Caspit, "The president [Obama] cannot know beforehand that the damage of a military operation against the Syrian regime would be less or more that the result of non-action. All that could be said that he crushed what remains of US deterrence in the region."

Israel Today reported, "Obama's confusion and failure to implement his threats are a new fissure in his leadership. They indicate that he is not made of the same material as other US presidents before him."

As for the reasons why the US has failed to strike Syria, the newspaper focused on the breakdown of US traditional alliances as a main reason. "All that is understood from Obama's speech is that he is looking for an excuse not to act. He felt great disappointment from traditional and established allies of the US who decided not to be on his side, especially Canada and Britain, then Germany, which comes as a strong blow to Washington. It seems its traditional alliances disintegrated, stripping naked US foreign policy."

http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/israel-absorbs-shock-delayed-u...