Opposition leader criticises Israel’s role in Syria

Opposition leader and chairman of the Israeli Yesh Atid party Yair Lapid has said that amid the events in Syria, Israel acted correctly from a security standpoint but absolutely irresponsibly in the political sphere.

Lapid noted that Israel made the right decision by positioning forces on Mount Hermon in Syria. The change in government and instability in Syria effectively nullify the 1974 disengagement agreement. The international community cannot raise objections to this move, Caliber.Az reports per Israeli media.

 "Israel is right to continue taking action against weapon arsenals in Syria, with particular focus on chemical weapons and air defence systems. This is another opportunity to destroy a crucial link in the Iranian network and permanently halt the supply of weapons to Hezbollah," he said.

However, the opposition leader also pointed out that, politically, Israel's actions have been entirely opposite.

"There is no reason why, less than twenty-four hours after the fall of Damascus, the prime minister and minister of defence should be standing on the Syrian border claiming that Assad fell because of our actions. The last thing the Syrian rebels want or need is for anyone to say they came to power thanks to Israel. Sooner or later, they will try to prove to the Arab world that this is not true. And they will be right. It is not true," Lapid emphasised. 

"At the same time, Israel should propose holding a security summit with the Saudis, explaining that the purpose of the summit is to help the Syrian people expel the Iranians and stabilise the country. The goal should be to turn the changes in Syria into a political lever for creating a regional coalition that will ultimately benefit us in Gaza, Lebanon, and in our confrontation with the Iranian threat," the opposition leader added.

On November 27, armed opposition groups launched a large-scale offensive against Syrian army positions in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces. By the evening of December 7, they had captured several major cities (Aleppo, Hama, Daraa, and Homs), and on December 8, they entered Damascus, with Syrian government forces withdrawing from the city.

Syrian government leader Muhammad Ghazi al-Jalali expressed readiness for a peaceful transfer of power in the country. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Bashar al-Assad stepped down as president of Syria and left the country, giving instructions for a peaceful handover of power.

By Naila Huseynova