Israel celebrates Assad downfall, reaches out to rebels
GOLAN HEIGHTS - Israel has welcomed the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claiming credit for the collapse.
The prime minister and other members of his cabinet gathered at the Golan Heights Sunday where he ordered the military to take control of the buffer zone as it was left unmanned by Syrian soldiers who deserted their posts on Saturday.
Mr Netanyahu also reached out to the rebel factions that have taken control in Syria, saying he is ready to work with them to "establish neighbourly relations."
He also directed the Israel Defense Forces to take over the Syrian side of the Mount Hermon mountain range and other advantage points to better control Israel's border.
"This is a historic day for the Middle East. The collapse of the Assad regime, the tyranny in Damascus, offers great opportunity but also is fraught with significant dangers. This collapse is the direct result of our forceful action against Hezbollah and Iran, Assad's main supporters. It set off a chain reaction of all those who want to free themselves from this tyranny and its oppression," Mr Netanyahu said in a statement from the Golan Heights on Sunday.
"But it also means that we have to take action against possible threats. One of them is the collapse of the Separation of Forces Agreement from 1974 between Israel and Syria. This agreement held for 50 years. Last night, it collapsed. The Syrian army abandoned its positions. We gave the Israeli army the order to take over these positions to ensure that no hostile force embeds itself right next to the border of Israel. This is a temporary defensive position until a suitable arrangement is found."
"Equally, we send a hand of peace to all those beyond our border in Syria: to the Druze, to the Kurds, to the Christians, and to the Muslims who want to live in peace with Israel. We're going to follow events very carefully. If we can establish neighborly relations and peaceful relations with the new forces emerging in Syria, that's our desire. But if we do not, we will do whatever it takes to defend the State of Israel and the border of Israel," the Israeli prime minister said.
The United States said it was observing the unfolding events in Syria but was not proposing any action. It made no comment about the rebel forces taking control, or their leader, a designated global terrorist with a $10 million FBI bounty on his head.
"President Biden and his team are closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria and staying in constant touch with regional partners," the White House said in a statement.
"The United States will continue to maintain its presence in eastern Syria and will take measures necessary to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State," Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Daniel Shapiro told the Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain.
While the U.S. would not be unhappy with the demise of Assad, on Saturday it was celebrating its decades-long alliance with the kingdom of Bahrain. "The enduring U.S.-Bahrain partnership, rooted in decades of mutual trust and shared goals, is a testament to the power of collaboration. Together, through innovative initiatives like the Geospatial Acceleration Initiative, we reaffirm our resolve to confront today's challenges with ingenuity and unity. This partnership continues to serve as a cornerstone of peace, security, and prosperity for both nations and beyond," a White House statement issued on Saturday said.
President-elect Donald Trump took to Truth Social to celebrate the fall of Assad, noting it was a major blow for Russia and Iran.
"Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer," Trump posted. "Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success."
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