ISRAEL'S FORMER IDF CHIEF: FOR THE TIME BEING ASSAD IS THE RIGHT SOLUTION FOR US - It's Over 9000!

ISRAEL'S FORMER IDF CHIEF: FOR THE TIME BEING ASSAD IS THE RIGHT SOLUTION FOR US

The Jerusalem Post

Former IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. (ret.) Dan Halutz came out in favor of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remaining in power, a first for a former Israeli military leader. “For the time being Assad is the right solution for us, for now,” Halutz said on a panel discussion moderated by Yaakov Katz and alongside former Defense Minister and former IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen (ret.) Moshe “Boogie” Yaalon.

Israeli leaders have so far called for the removal of Assad, including Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, but according to Halutz, Israel should “let him finish the work against terror groups fighting against him first. The Russians, he added, “are a stabilizing factor in the region” despite the tension it can create with Israel.

With Israel reportedly carrying out airstrikes against weapon convoys heading to Hezbollah in Syria, the two countries have implemented a system over Syria to coordinate their actions in order to avoid accidental clashes. Meanwhile Yaalon, who would not say who he thought Israel might want in power over the border, stated that Israel would not like to see Iranians on the other side of the border as Tehran is the “main threat” in terms of aspirations and capabilities for both stability in the Middle East as well as against Israel. The Islamic State group “might have aspirations but it does not have the capabilities.

Iran on the other hand is a regional superpower,” Yaalon said, adding that Tehran is “violating UN Security Council resolutions on a daily basis.” But in order to stabilize the situation in Syria, one must address the needs of the Sunnis which make up the majority of the population in the country, Yaalon added. For the state of Israel, the policy regarding defense is to not intervene in conflicts of neighboring countries and maintain red lines but Israel’s “carrot and stick” policy also provides humanitarian assistance to those in need. “We extend our hand and welcome those who need our help and after they recover we bring them back home. That’s how we don’t ignore the tragedy across the border while not interfering in the conflict militarily.”

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