US envoy Tom Barrack’s Israel criticism tests his credibility as a mediator - analysis
Barrack’s apparent support for the Turkish-Syrian account over Israel’s may have undermined his credibility in Jerusalem as a mediator in potential Israel-Syria security talks.
On Saturday, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz posted a statement on Twitter/X during Shabbat afternoon, criticizing US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria and Iraq, Tom Barrack. In a podcast last Tuesday, Barrack made several remarks that raised eyebrows in Jerusalem. He claimed that Israel was occupying the Golan Heights in violation of UN resolutions and international order, speculated that Israel’s attack on an airbase in Syria may have been an attempt to bait Turkey before the October 27 election, and stated that Turkey was not interested in an adversarial relationship with Israel.
He also questioned Israel’s intelligence and suggested Turkey was planning to move troops and equipment into the attack site. Israeli officials responded to Barrack’s comments, calling them full of inaccuracies and contradicting Trump’s policy on the Golan Heights. This incident comes at a sensitive time as Barrack tries to reduce tensions between Israel and Turkey.
However, his dual role as ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria may harm his ability to be a trusted mediator between the two countries.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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