Defense minister says jihadists don’t ‘have capabilities’ of Islamic Republic, which he brands Israel’s ‘greatest enemy’
19 January 2016
Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said Tuesday that Iran poses a greater threat than the Islamic State, and that if the Syrian regime were to fall, Israel would prefer that IS was in control of the territory than an Iranian proxy.
“In Syria, if the choice is between Iran and the Islamic State, I choose the Islamic State. They don’t have the capabilities that Iran has,” Ya’alon told a conference held by the Institute of National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.
“Our greatest enemy is the Iranian regime that has declared war on us,” the defense minister said of the threats facing Israel.
“Iran tried to open a terror front against us on the Golan Heights,” he said in reference to efforts by Iranian proxy Hezbollah to plan attacks on Israel.
With its nuclear deal and recent lifting of sanctions, Tehran “has escaped international isolation” and become a “central player” in Syria, he continued. Both the US and Russia are treating Iran as “part of the solution” to the Syrian civil war, Ya’alon said.
“Iran determines future of Syria and if it leads to perpetuation, Iranian hegemony in Syria will be huge challenge for Israel,” he said.
The defense minister also characterized the conflict in Syria and Iraq as the “height of the clash of civilizations.”
“Many in the West refuse to acknowledge this — won’t even say ‘radical Islam,’” Ya’alon said. “Of course not every Muslim is a terrorist, but most terrorists in the world today are Muslim. We can’t ignore that.”
Turning to the situation in Israel, Ya’alon maintained that Gaza’s ruler Hamas, which has fought Israel on three occasions in recent years, was deterred and was not seeking an escalation. “Our presence prevents Hamas or IS takeover of Palestinian areas,” he said.
Continue reading at www.timesofisrael.com
We remind our readers that publication of articles on our site does not mean that we agree with what is written. Our policy is to publish anything which we consider of interest, so as to assist our readers in forming their opinions. Sometimes we even publish articles with which we totally disagree, since we believe it is important for our readers to be informed on as wide a spectrum of views as possible.
