Israel must set red lines on Turkish presence in Syria to avoid confrontation, think tank argues
Israel's Syria policy could ultimately invite US pressure to abandon its buffer zone without significant security concessions if it fails to engage Damascus diplomatically, INSS warns.
The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) think tank suggests that Israel should set more limited "red lines" on Turkish activities in Syria to avoid a confrontation. This comes after Israel struck a Turkish position in Syria on August 17, causing a diplomatic conflict.
The INSS warns that remaining in Syria without dialogue with Damascus about long-term security arrangements could lead to losing security gains achieved after the fall of the Assad regime. The organization argues that Israel needs to walk a fine line between restoring Syrian infrastructure and establishing a Turkish presence in Syria.
The INSS makes a distinction between technical assistance and rehabilitation of facilities for the Syrian state, and the establishment of independent Turkish command-and-control infrastructure. The think tank believes that Turkey's presence in northern Syria is justified to prevent threats to its territory, but Turkish bases in central and southern Syria are not necessary for security reasons.
The INSS also stresses the importance of avoiding entrenching terror proxies in southern Syria, particularly Hamas, and preventing them from having a safe haven under Turkish or Syrian auspices near Israel's border. The organization recognizes that Turkey's presence in Syria is unlikely to disappear through military force alone, and Israel's challenge is to contain and balance it.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
