Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has condemned the Israeli government’s actions in the wake of the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying Israel’s actions in Syria are correct and its rhetoric is dangerous, the Times of Israel reports. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/lapid-says-netanyahus-claims-he-sparked-downfall-of-assad-are-irresponsible-dangerous/
“Given the events in Syria, Israel acted correctly yesterday from a security standpoint and completely irresponsibly from a political standpoint,” Lapid told reporters before the weekly meeting of his Yesh Atid party faction in the Knesset.
Israel’s decision to take control of the buffer zone on the countries’ border was correct, he said, while arguing that “a change of government and instability in Syria de facto nullifies the 1974 demarcation agreement.”
“Taking steps to neutralize weapons stockpiles, especially chemical weapons and air defense systems, is also advisable, and Assad’s fall provides an important opportunity to “permanently stop arms supplies to Hezbollah,” Lapid added.
At the same time, the Israeli opposition leader noted that while the army’s actions on the ground contribute to national security without drawing Israel into the conflict in Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that he set in motion the chain of events that led to the sudden fall of the Assad regime is “irresponsible, dangerous, and devoid of any political logic.”
“The last thing the rebels in Syria need or want is to say that they came to power thanks to Israel. This is unnecessary arrogance, which will sooner or later lead to them reacting and trying to prove to the Arab world that this is not the case,” Lapid said.
“The new Syrian government also does not need to hear the Israeli Defense Minister loudly explain that the IDF has captured Syrian army positions and will continue to capture new points deep inside Syria, because this turns a justifiable security operation into a violation of sovereignty that no country can agree to,” he added.