PM Netanyahu in the north of Israel. Illustrative.
Photo courtesy of Haim Zach / Israeli GPO.
The official Syrian news agency on Saturday reported that Israeli forces attacked a “military position” in the western area of the country, leading to the destruction of buildings and wounding multiple “fighters”. One day later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not officially claim credit for the attack, but he did allude to it by referencing action to the north of Israel in comments at an event for families of fallen IDF soldiers.
“We do not rush to battle. Who like us knows that the cost of war is terrible? But let no one misunderstand us—when the security of Israel is at stake, we act with all our strength. Whoever puts us in danger puts himself in far greater danger,” said Netanyahu in comments released by his office.
“We will continue to act on all fronts, including in the north, because we are not prepared to allow anybody to entrench in strength and endanger the State of Israel. Strength is the guarantee of our existence, and it is the essential and fundamental condition in achieving peace with our neighbors.”
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) claimed that Syrian air defenses managed to take down some of the Israeli missiles in the attack, although the incident still resulted in damage and casualties.
For years, reports have said Israel has been acting militarily in neighboring Syria, whether the intent was to prevent advanced weapons from reaching Syrian terrorist allies or the entrenching of Iranian military forces in Syria. In some cases, Israel has been unusually transparent about their activity, but that doesn’t mean every situation is public knowledge.
The IDF Twitter page highlighted such covert action by posting on Friday that an anonymous colonel “just got an award for thwarting terrorism in the northern front. The public knows very little about this classified unit. We can say this: The people of Israel are safer because of them.” The post said the colonel “operates in secret”.
Netanyahu, in his comments on Sunday, highlighted Israel’s determination to defend itself against its enemies.
“Only if we stand as a fortified wall against those who seek our ill and are willing to act at personal risk in time of need, can we—with G-d’s help—ensure the eternity of Israel,” said the Israeli leader.
“We are determined to defend our land—even in the face of our greatest and bitterest of foes, who inscribe our destruction on their banners. We are not deterred by struggle, knowing that we fight against those who seek our lives. Our spirit is strong, our strength is steadfast.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, April 14, 2019)