Israeli strike on Syrian airfield could have been pre-election ploy, US envoy Barrack says

Tom Barrack, the US special envoy to Syria, has suggested that Israel may have sought to provoke a conflict with Turkey as a strategic move ahead of Israel's upcoming elections. In an interview, Barrack described the escalating tensions between Turkey and Israel. He stated that Israel had carried out an airstrike on a military airfield in eastern Idlib despite ongoing diplomatic communication through a backchannel just before the attack.

Barrack proposed that "the Israelis were baiting the Turks" and linked this to a potential "very aggressive yet well-received pre-election strategy." Israel is scheduled to hold a general election on October 27. Barrack emphasized that these were theories, not definitive conclusions. He explained that in the days leading up to the Israeli strike on the runway at Abu Al Duhur military airfield, intelligence indicated possible Turkish military presence at the base, which would have raised US concerns given the existing tensions between Ankara and Israel.

Turkey has dismissed Israel's allegations as "untenable" and "intended to legitimize" Israel's unauthorized action at the base. Barrack said that despite the lack of evidence, Israel proceeded with the attack after an Israeli commander in the field ordered the destruction of the runways to prevent the presence of Turkish military.

Barrack added that there might have been a communication breakdown between Israel's intelligence and military. He noted that Israel, which had previously dismantled much of Syria's air force after the Assad regime fell, desired a "clear line of sight to Iran" and wanted to avoid the risk of defensive or offensive capabilities that could deter or intervene against Iran.

Barrack stressed that the situation could have rapidly escalated when the Turkish military observed Israeli jets approaching the Turkish border without knowing the reason. He concluded that "thank goodness, calm heads prevailed at the decisive moment," highlighting a moment when many were overwhelmed by the events unfolding.