Israeli researcher Uzi Rabi believes that Tel Aviv must "send a signal to the Middle East," referring to the recent Israeli attack on Syria, "Turkey's ambitions," and the changing balance of power in the Middle East.
In an interview on Radio 103FM, Professor Uzi Rabi, from the Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University, said: "Until yesterday, Israel was working to prevent Iran from operating its proxies in Syria. But after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, Syria is no longer an Iranian stronghold, quite the opposite."
Rabi added: "The one who is trying to penetrate Syria with a very deep foothold is Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan," adding: "Erdoğan has great ambition and many imperial dreams, and if he enters an airport 70 kilometers away from the Syrian-Turkish border in Idlib, this is something that requires serious consideration. We will ultimately have to send a signal to the Middle East that Syria will not become a Turkish colony," as he put it.
According to him, the center of Israeli concern lies in the possibility that Turkey will establish capabilities within Syrian territory that limit the activity of the Israeli Air Force: "Turkey wants to control an airport located in northern Syria. Control here does not mean sending an aircraft to Syria and rebuilding the Syrian Air Force, but rather placing air defense batteries there against Israeli aircraft, and then Israel's freedom of air movement in the Middle East will be reduced."
Rabbi believed that Israel should act at an early stage to prevent the consolidation of a deeper Turkish presence, saying: "This move came at the right time, as the matter must be curbed from the beginning. Erdogan is a very dangerous figure and will continue to expand, so do not be surprised if he reaches Lebanon and Gaza as well. Israel will always remain vigilant so that Turkey does not restrict Israel's freedom of action in the Middle East region."
Later, Rabbi addressed the changes in the structure of regional alliances and the "decline in the region's trust in Washington," warning: "No one buys American promises anymore; everyone is looking out for themselves, and that's why there are multiple alliances here. If Saudi Arabia enters into an alliance with Pakistan and Turkey, does that mean the 'Abraham Accords' are over? In my opinion, that's not true. Unlike in the past, countries feel extremely insecure and tend to make several choices at once. Israel must be smart, understand what's happening, and be proactive and effective. We're not talking about peace, but about normalization wherever possible."
Rabbi also touched on Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah, arguing that a cessation of fighting would allow these groups to regain their strength: “Hamas, like Hezbollah, as soon as there is no intense war, becomes stronger - this is obvious. These are resistance organizations, and there is no room or possibility of reaching a settlement with them because they do not want you to exist in the first place.”
He added regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip: “In Gaza, not even one gram of land or one millimeter of land will be returned unless we see results proving that Hamas has been disarmed. Hamas will not be disarmed, as it recruits children as young as sixteen and can bring in missiles and weapons,” he said.
These statements come in the wake of airstrikes targeting Abu al-Duhur military airport in the eastern Idlib countryside in northwestern Syria.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office reported that Syria was on the verge of violating the agreement with Israel by allowing Turkish forces to deploy at an air force base near Aleppo.
In contrast, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack warned that the Israeli strike on the Abu al-Duhur airbase carried a real risk of military confrontation between Israel, Turkey, and Syria. Ankara also condemned the raids, calling for a firmer stance to halt Israeli aggression .
The Syrian Foreign Ministry also stressed in a statement that “the continuation of these Israeli attacks since December 8, 2024 until today, at a time when the Syrian state is committed to restraint and is working to consolidate stability and avoid escalation, reveals once again the attempts of the Israeli occupation to undermine these efforts and drag the region towards more tension and instability.”
The Syrian Foreign Ministry held "the Israeli occupation responsible for this escalation," calling on the international community and the Security Council to "clearly condemn this aggression and take a firm stance against the repeated Israeli violations of Syrian sovereignty."
The statement affirmed that Syria will continue to defend its rights and national interests by legitimate means guaranteed by international laws and norms.
