In an article in the National Interest magazine, Michael Pack asks: Can Israeli air strikes in Syria lead to war between Israel and Russia?
He says that Tel Aviv is still determined to continue bombing Iranian forces in Syria in an attempt to distance them from the northern border of Israel, while Russia at the same time record its presence in Syria thanks to thousands of soldiers, making any exchange of fire affects the allies of Moscow able to ignite a war Widely in the region.
The writer also wonders whether the United States will have to intervene in the event of a war between her friend Israel and Russia.
He added that it appears that Israel will take any action it deems necessary to erase any trace of Iranian forces deployed in Syria, to ensure that it does not become an Iranian missile base on the Israeli border, even if Russia did not agree to this.
"The Israelis are not interested in Russia or its allies, Russia is not our ally, and the United States is our only ally," he told an Israeli army official, who did not want to be identified.
| Israeli military operations in Syria could lead to catastrophic incidents (Reuters) |
Different objectives
The writer added that the Israeli official added that "Russia's presence in Syria has very different objectives than those that everyone thinks. It supports a regime with a clear goal of eliminating Israel and joining an alliance that supports Iran."
The writer says it is clear that Israeli military operations in Syria could lead to catastrophic incidents, such as the Israeli raid in September 2018 targeting ammunition dumps and subsequent repercussions.
He added that Israeli officials were warning of Tehran's plan to deploy 100,000 Iranian and allied forces in Syria, and that they considered Hezbollah - whose arsenals were 130,000 Missile - poses a threat to Israel.
The writer points out that Syria's transformation into an Iranian missile base is a source of fear for Israel.
Targeting and confrontation
The writer also wonders whether Israel can target Iran in Syria without a confrontation with Russia.
He points out that there are many mechanisms for resolving the conflict, such as the interaction between the Israeli and Russian armies.
The Israeli army is not proud of its capabilities against Russia, but Israel is strong and does not fear to use its grip, which makes the potential battle between Israel and Russia very dangerous.
Russia does not need to confront Israel, he said, adding that one side must retreat, that Iran does not appear ready to give up its position on the border with Israel, and that Russia can not force it to do so. Israel also seems determined to deter Iran.