How Israel Lost the Syrian Civil War

Apart from the Syrian people themselves, Israel comes out of the 12 years of civil war as the biggest loser. The survival of the Assad regime amounts to nothing short of an Israeli strategic failure. Assad’s survival turns Iran into Israel’s next-door neighbor, exercising growing influence on the rebuilding of Syria’s armed forces. It allows for land corridors through Iraq and an air bridge for equipping Hizbullah’s heavy missiles with precision guidance kits, making them far more accurate. It enables Shi’ite militias sponsored by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps to mount large-scale campaigns to smuggle weapons (and drugs) into Jordan intended to supply Palestinian groups in the West Bank. In brief, the threat to Israel is increasing, and the military challenges faced by the Israel Defense Forces are becoming more complex...

Read the full article and accompanying graphics on the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune website.