Opinion
Assad's fall good for Israel
Yishai Fleisher
Published: 26.11.11, 15:11
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1. shortsightedness
michael ,   zurich   (11.26.11)
i've heard similar things about the benefits of kicking the palestinians out of south lebanon. well - time told a different story. so let me put it in a nutshell: if all of israels neighbours become sunni theocracies, held togehter by turkey, things become tougher for israel. i'd advise you to "demlitarize" iran, but only a bit.
2. Civil war in Syria would be a nice bonus to a dead Iran!
tom ,   tel aviv   (11.26.11)
3. The trouble with clever prophets is.....
Michael ,   Haifa   (11.26.11)
...they don't know who or what will come in place of Assad
4. Arab Spring will bring true Democracy to Palestine Israel
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (11.26.11)
The world will not let Israel occupy Palestine forever.
5. The Greater of Two Evils!
Taz Man ,   USA   (11.26.11)
And what will replace Assad? The Muslim Brotherhood, and their number one goal is to destroy Israel. So whether it's Assad starting something in desperation because he knows it's over, or the MB teaming-up after all the other fallen leaders' (where the MB has taken power). Either way one cuts-it: all-out war is coming. Israel wins! God bless Israel and His Jerusalem (Muslim free)! A Christian Zionist
6. Without the Syrian thugs, Iran will be on
Chris Rettenmoser ,   Bayerisch Gmain Germ   (11.26.11)
it's own...with no chance to retaliate for the trashing of it's nuke program...WHAT a pity...!
7. the loss of assad would be bad for Israel
zionist forever   (11.26.11)
Assad is the enemy we can usually judge pretty well when it comes to his motives and we know how to deal with him should it come to war. What we don't know is who will replace him and we have no influence in who does replace him. The strongest political force in Syria Assad is the Muslim Brotherhood and if the Egyptian example is anything to go by they are not the people we want replacing Assad. If the Muslims Brotherhood don't replace him we may get a coup by Hezbollah. They already run Lebanon next door and they would have plenty of support for their Iranian patron because to Iran Assad is expendable as long as they control his successor. Just think of the Syrian military with their chemical weapons taking their order from Hezbollah or the Muslim Brotherhood. There is also the issue of the Golan. Assuming the MB & Hezbollah don't take control of the country or only form part of a coalition, even before we know what this new government's long term politicies will be the western world & Israels left will be demanding we give up the Golan. We must show how committed Israel is to peace with Syria and we will be told how we must strenghen this moderate government against the radicals. We have had it all before with the palestinians Israel makes all kinds of concessions to show its committed to peace and to support Abbas the moderate. When did Israel's left or the west ever look at the big picture of what happens if they peace dreams come crashing down around us and we have given away the strategic land we rely on in wartime. Its always Israel must show the commitment to peace and make all the concessions. So for Israel losing Assad running the show but a politically weakened Assad whose true colors have been shown and nobody will ever trust again.
8. To: Michael at No. 1
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (11.26.11)
We did, several weeks ago. Ninety percent of Iran's intercontinental ballistic missiles went bang! in a mysterious explosion at an Iranian military base. Moroever, the Stuxnet and Duqu computer worms -- Israeli creations -- have wrought havoc on Iran's nuclear facilities (particularly the enrichment sites) and Bushehr, which remains non-operational. There is very good reason to believe that that is just the tip of the iceberg. Iran's command and control systems have very definitely been compromised. I hope, once all the dust settles, people remember that Israel tried the civilized way first. But when you deal with primitive purveyors in death -- that would be Iran -- the civilized way rarely works. Iran will go, and despite all the chest-thumping and false bravado, it will go rather quickly. Israel will do its best to make it as painless as possible for the ordinary Iranian people, who are desperate to rid themselves of the rule of the mullahs and the ayatollahs. But painless or not -- Iran is going down.
9. The problem with the "Arab spring" ...
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (11.26.11)
... is that you have a bunch of violent thugs (witness the rapes in Egypt) who are screaming for "democracy" without having any idea of what democracy means or entails. The hallmark of Arab society has always been aggression and violence. There ARE no peaceful Arab societies. There are only people chafing under the bit of either totalitarian regimes, primitive royal families or military suppression. Arab countries are all hydras. Cut off one head, and two grow in its place. There is no such thing as an "Arab spring." There is only a rapid descent into Arab winter. The only thing of which one may be completely sure is that whatever exists and poses as "Arab leadership" today, if deposed, something far worse will grow in its place. We saw that in Lebanon, we have seen it in Egypt, and we are about to see it in Syria and Yemen. Arabs are functionally primitive people. There is no such thing as a peaceful transition of power. The ten thousand dead in Syria are just a drop in the bucket. There will be far more to come, because that is all that Arabs know -- violence and murder. Strip away the oil wealth wherever in the world it exists; strip away the thin veneer of "civilization," and what are you left with? A bunch of violent war-mongerers. A $6,000 Armani suit does not a human being make. That's the Arab world. To deny this very essential fact is foolish. You can put as much lipstick and perfume on a pig as you want -- it is still a pig.
10. #4's uncanny predictions
daze ,   US   (11.26.11)
We all know how much democracy has flowered in arab countries as a result of the arab spring. You're quite the prophet, benassi. Who is going to win this year's super bowl? How about next year's winner?
11. You Err !.
Arn. ,   Sweden.   (11.26.11)
Assad's fall good for Israel Comment - Right !. Further - Op-ed: Greatest opportunity to curb Iran's ambitions lies in toppling Syrian regime Comment - Only a Military Defeat will stop Iran. Nr 1 also has a Point here thus - i'd advise you to "demlitarize" iran, but only a bit. michael , zurich Arn.Sweden.
12. old devils vs. the rise of new devils
Cameron ,   USA   (11.26.11)
The ME, baby
13. Way off
Gee ,   Zikron Yaakov   (11.26.11)
Iran has it's fingers in other a dozen Arab countries - the loss of Syria will not serious affect them. The ensuing civil war in Syria will spin off into other Arab countries and even Iran - that will benefit the entire world. That is going to take more time for the Muslims to really get killing one another.
14. Nr 3. You dont need to be a Prophet -
Arn. ,   Sweden.   (11.26.11)
- to understand that the Mayority Sunnis, som 85 % of Syrias Populace, will come to the Rule. Assads Shias is only 15 %. Arn.Sweden.
15. NR. 9. - Yes -
Arn. ,   Sweden.   (11.26.11)
as is written about Ismael the foefather of the Arabian Peoples - " His hans shall be against every Man, and every Mans hand against Him " !. Hand stands for action that is, the Arabs will in action be against the whole of Mankinf through the Religion of Islam. Arn.Sweden.
16. To: Daze at No. 10
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (11.26.11)
Good questions! I need to buy some boxes on the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, Mr. BenASSi is a chattering monkey, and probably cannot even tell you the time of day. Yeah. He's that stupid.
17. #3, and how exactly will they be worse than Assad?
Danny   (11.26.11)
18. Assad is ione thug we know what replaces him no one knows
Al   (11.26.11)
be careful what you wish for. One raghead gets you two ragheads. Israel will have to guard its ass till the end of time.
19. The writer is basically correct
Kazim Hussein ,   Kut, Iraq   (11.26.11)
Aside from some of the outlandish statements by some readers, the article is spot on .Evlen more so, it is correct for the Syrian people ,hence, why not see it as an Israeli/ western policy to help the Syrian people to get rid of this bad rule . Ultimately the Syrian people prize highly life ( it actually explains their for some of them their indifference to the Syrian regime ) , their real upcoming struggle is to love well and have a future for their families .It is the Iranian imperial ambitions that Israel can help to help the Iranian people through making the theocracy loses face ( that what it will take to make serious in roads to breaking the Iranian regime ability to rule , let alone exhibit regional ambitions ,), the Iranian bravado aside Iran is shooting above its weight .Hence , it will fail . It is the moral responsibility. For the stronger democratic Israel and the West to liberate the middle eastern people incrementally through toppling the corrupt failed regime in Damscus , then HizbAllh/Hamas , you will see the Iraqis asserting their independence from Iran , then the Iranian regime could crumble w/o a fight .
20. For Steve,@4.
~~Lengualima~~ ,   I   (11.27.11)
For Steve, @ 4: the exquisite honey of democracy is a fine delicacy that can not taste the lips of those who are accustomed only to hate, kill, and believe that returning to the seventh century solution all their problems. When? democracy you said, you meant that paradise of "tolerance" and "respect" called Hamas, or Fatah education system only taught to hate. Too bad, you live in the United States a democracy that has over 230 years, but too delicate to be tested by the lips of some that the only thing they know is hatred taste. Greetings.
21. the writer's approach is both simplistic and arrogant...
Rafi ,   US   (11.27.11)
... given the certainty with which he presents his views. In fact, the Syrian siutation is very complex and has many shades of grey - and is best watched closely from the outside without jumping to any single set of conclusions.
22. This story s 100% FALSE
Aaron ,   LA, US   (11.27.11)
Assad's government toppling is the last thing Israel needs. This guy is scared to death of Israel and he won't start with them. If another crazy takes power it won't be a good situation.
23. a lot of fancy language wrapped around very little substance
tom ,   toronto, canada   (11.27.11)
it doesn't take very much insight to see that toppling the assad regime in syria may hurt iranian interests in the region. but any argument for interfering in the syrian conflict must also take into account the consequences of such interference, such as inadvertently lending legitimacy to assad's bleating about foreign intervention, or the possibility of backing the losing side. and it most certainly must consider the possible successor regimes, which could be disastrously hostile to israeli and western interests, as the west is starting to see in tunisia, libya, egypt, probably yemen, and possibly iraq. that would be substantive analysis, and not just a sophomoric essay about wishful thinking.
24. For Steve, @4.
~~Lengualima~~ ,   I   (11.27.11)
For Steve, @ 4: the exquisite honey of democracy is a fine delicacy that can not taste the lips of those who are accustomed only to hate, kill, and believe that returning to the seventh century solution all their problems. When? democracy you said, you meant that paradise of "tolerance" and "respect" called Hamas, or Fatah education system only taught to hate. Too bad, you live in the United States a democracy that has over 230 years, but too delicate to be tested by the lips of some that the only thing they know is hatred taste. Greetings.
25. #7 A very poignant post...
Chris.B ,   Australia   (11.27.11)
There seems to be a plan to destabilise all the stable regimes in the M.E and so by doing this inducing WW3. Most posters here don't understand the long term implications of these actions for the world and even for Israel.
26. Assad and Benito Mussolini
Russ Cogswell ,   Ramat Aviv MALL   (11.27.11)
Assad will be swinging in the market place.. The Simian Primate in Iran will no longer have a middleman to equip Hamas and Hezbollah. Now the bearded Monkey really has problems.
27. It is simple
Matt   (11.27.11)
They are charters, sister chapters and they are being patched over.
28. @#10
KACH613 ,   Israel   (11.27.11)
Trust me it will be the NY Giants!!
29. # 18
Birdi ,   Israel   (11.27.11)
Tell us something we dont know !!
30. right on all points, Al
Cameron ,   USA   (11.27.11)
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