© AFP 2019 / Jaafar Ashtiyeh
When asked how the Russian S-300 missile defence batteries delivered to Syria could affect "Israel's freedom", the outgoing head of the IDF Northern Command, General Yoel Strick, told Ynet News that if the systems are used against Israeli jets, the country's forces would "remove the threat".
"We will introduce advanced weapons systems into the area but Israel has an excellent Air Force. I will not go into detail of our options, but if the Syrians employ Russian S-300s against our planes, and we take them out, it will be seen as a legitimate move on our part. I see that happening though I hope we don't get to that. But of our freedom of movement is threatened we will remove the threat. We know how to do that", he said.
Comment: Israel has largely lost it's victim status image over recent years. The general is probably overestimating Israel's capacity to fool people if he thinks everyone will see an attack as legitimate in a case where Syria is defending against an Israeli strike in the first place! Yes, the United States will go along with it, but it seems no longer the case that everyone will.
The departing IDF commander then claimed that Israel will win any conflict against enemies to the north, suggesting that Lebanese movement Hezbollah is still plotting to infiltrate the north of Israel, but that Israeli forces would foil those alleged plans.
Commenting on the Israeli Operation Northern Shield to destroy Hezbollah "attack tunnels" running from Lebanon to Israel, the military official said that there is no way to know for certain that the tunnels would not be recreated.
"In my profession, there is no certainty, so I will say as far as I am aware - with the means available to us I can say with a high degree of confidence that the threat from attack tunnels has been removed. Can they be developed again? I hope not", he said.
The IDF general claimed that it would be wrong to separate Hezbollah from the rest of Lebanon for it is a "political player and part of the establishment".
Therefore, he went on to say, it would be wise to declare war on Lebanon and show the price they will have to pay in the event of a Hezbollah attack.
Comment: General Strick is war crazed! Good thing he is a departing commander as he seems to have already departed from understanding reality!
The Russian military delivered the S-300s to Syria following an incident in which Syrian air defences accidentally shot down a Russian Il-20 military aircraft with 15 service members on board in Latakia while attempting to repel an Israeli airstrike.
In the wake of the incident, Moscow accused the IDF of deliberately using the Russian aircraft as a shield during their attack on targets in Syria. Tel Aviv rejected the accusations, claiming it had warned Moscow about the upcoming air raid in the area in a timely fashion.
Israel has already provoked Russia to the breaking point with the IL-20 shootdown, and if it attacks the S-300 batteries, Russia will inevitably respond. Does Israel think it can beat Russia in a fight? Does it seriously think the USA will come to its aid against Russia, if the Russians are in the right, risking a nuclear war which would destroy the USA? Get real!!
Jews in general and the Israelis in particular have this belief that they are the Chosen People of their God Yahweh, and He will always come to their aid. I have a question for them: Where was your God when six million of you were choking to death on cyanide gas?
If you think your God will deliver you from Russian overwhelming firepower, or that America will rescue you either, well, you should start believing in the Easter Bunny. Or Santa Claus. Both of them are Christian icons, and would do far more to pull your irons out of the fire than your God Yahweh.