Ben Yishai is correct in his analysis of the West´s weakness and their impotence in undertaking any meaningful action. However, I think his comments with regard to Israel´s role in this conflict need to be reconsidered. Israel is the only power in the region and this conflict is right on its border. Should it spill over to Lebanon and Jordan, then the consequences for Israel will be dear. Instead of worrying about Iran´s nuclear ambitions which still needs long time to accomplish, Israel should concentrate on the immediate threat. Kicking Assad and his cronies out of Syria and Lebanon should be Israel´s priority. They know what to do.

"World" will do bobkes about internal matters of Syria. Israel on the other hand would react VERY differently if attacked by GAS (or any other unconventional agent) That is at least something, I hope we would do! Taking into consideration our impotent & lame reactions to Arab aggression coming out of Gaza I do begin to have my doubts....oh well, time will tell.

The useless US will set another red line (another of many) and life will go on. Yet when one Palestinian gets himself wounded while targeting Israeli troops the world community goes beserk !! When the Israelis blast a terriost rocket crew setting up their rockets for an attack on Israel, Mrs (UN) Pillay wants an explaination from Israel !!! Either we live in a strange world or I'm from a different planet !!

The day of and the day after Egypt killed prisoners being transported, by gassing, Israel went public with multiple statements in multiple press outlets that the US should and must support and continue aid to the army who gassed the prisoners. There was not a peep of criticism of Egypt asphyxiating prisoners by gas. Instead, Israel demanded that the US continue to provide aid and support. What message to Assad?

Sadly not only Assad! Iran & CO do as well! So does Russia! Wouldn't you, while looking at the 'deterrent from the West: Obama & Ashton? A joke, if it wouldn't be so dangerous.

The reason for is double dealing Israel does not take a position because those involved are renowned for double dealing and cutting deals. So it is best not to expose oneself to the potential blowback regardless of ones moral feelings. So the Saudi have either cut a deal with Russia to allow Assad to gas people in exchange for a veto and weapons on Egypt. Knowing that if the US acts they win, if the US does they win, so essential draw the US into Syria. Number two undercutting the US one Egypt and treating the US with such contempt over Egypt, as an Arabs poodle would give the regime, Russian and Iran the greenlight to jump the red line and use large scale attacks, becuase the US has been the only thing standing between this outcome. Three the Saudi are thick and made a huge mistake and subject Sunni to genocide via chemical weapons.

The war is not about Assad, he could never have survived without popular support from Syrians. It is about Assad trying to stay alive and preventing genocide of the Alawi, Christians and Shia in Syria and Lebanon. He knows the Arab culture and knows what will happen if he loses. Look what they did to Gadaffi before he died. Obama, the Saudis and Turks are supplying Sunni Jihadists, mostly non-Syrians with weapons and training. What choice does Assad have but use gas weapons? Does anyone think the Sunni would not use these weapons against Assad if they could? As for the elephant in the room: where are the mea culpas of the people who supported surrendering Golan to Assad?

Israel will continue to support Cici and the West should start to too. Egypt has nothing to fear financially and the Gulf States are pouring in money. As I wrote yesterday, "the west should have supported Mubarak", and if it had then thousands of people would not have lost their lives in Egypt. Israel seems almost zero threat from any kind of attack from Syria, chemical or otherwise. An attack on Israel by Syria would result in a knock-out blow by Israel within about twenty minutes and Assad knows it. He has nothing to gain and everything to lose by attacking Israel.

if israel kicks out assad together with the usa and the eu, then who do you think will fill the power vacum in syria????? surely not a moderate leadership, but a fanatic islamic al quida faction waiting to fill the vacum and will bring iran even closer to israel's border. think about that.

you forge that ehud barak is no longer calling the shots. The man who mostly hit empty buildings and offered concession freely when he would kill 2 or 3 operatives- he's gone. Yaalon has no trouble wasting damascus and its population so assad who is tenacious and has more grit than olmert, livni, bibi and even barak should know that israel will destroy damascus and send syria back to stone age. What he has killed so far 102,000 syrians would be killed in a blow against damascus. the reason he uses chemicals against his own people is because kameini is part of a death cult spearheading via hezbollah. We'll see how he does against israel. The problem for israel is guys like yishai and bibi who is like olmert, gutless to the core.

The mess in Egypt can only be blamed on Obama and the Western states who supported Mubarak's downfall. Had the world support Mubarak as they should have this mess would not be happening. The only state that realized this is Israel. As for Israel supporting aid to Egypt, it has nothing to do with "supporting" the military. Israel simply wants the bribe money to continue flowing to Egypt for the phoney peace AMERICA forced in the first place.

nuclear program will be th sa,e as Pbama on Syria's use of Chemical weapons- nothing >

Arabs have made the Obama admin'n lose total credibility

Assad is destroying the country to 'save' it. The Islamo-nutjobs are doing their best to kill everything that doesn't agree with them. The unfortunate best choice is to let the fight continue until one side wins, and then deal with that. If only Assad had been a true leader and not the dictator's son. Boy are these Muslim countries screwed up. (And Ashton can only find issues with Israel!!! She's such a tool!)

It should be made clear to Assad and the other Arabs nuts, that a chemical attack on Israel will subject them to radiation therapy.

Second time this week the author has tried to get the US to get involved in a nation half-way around the planet from it. How brave these Israelis are! Always willing to fight to the last American life. What's especially pathetic is the West, if it intervened, would almost certainly make the situation worse. But what does the author care? If that happens, him and the other armchair warriors would just say the West "didn't intervene the right way." It is truly immoral to constantly tell others to risk their lives for your safety when you're not willing to do anything yourself. Yes, everyone gets it, you and your ilk are scared to death of your neighbors. Perhaps Israel should do what it takes to make peace with the Palestinians. Then and only then will your neighbors stop hating you and then you'll no longer feel the need to write two columns/week trying to get the US to do your dirty work for you.

By your actions, your message to Assad is that use of WMD will get your support. And that you will lobby the West to give aid for WMD use. That is the message of your ACTIONS.

Israel doesn't need us to fight for them. What they need is for us to shut up and get out of the way. What is immoral is our constantly sticking our noses into other peoples business and tell them what to do. It's especially galling when being told by some idiot in the White House with no job experience or skill beyond reading a tele-prompter. You can't make peace with people who will only like you when you are dead. You may think everyone gets it but you sure don't.

In a knee-jerk fit of sycophantic idiocy, you state: "What they need is for us to shut up and get out of the way." Which of course is wrong. They want you to intervene militarily in Syria and go against the world (and many Egyptians) in Egypt. And if all Americans were as dumb as you, they'd probably get their way. No one is stopping Israel from attacking Iran (except for the Israeli military who knows it couldn't successfully pull it off.) Perhaps you fell for Netanyahu's "hold me back!" strategy. For most people who aren't "special," it was an obvious ploy. Now, I rarely reply to your numerous talkbacks directed at me as I believe you one of the more braindead morons who posts here. So don't expect any further reply. I already know what your reply would be anyway (as you're so incredibly predictable) and it would be wrong anyway.

isn't your presidnet, obama doing the very same thing?????? not inteveaning in syria. doubting that it was a chemical attack. by passing the red lines that he has set. arming the rebels who have al qaida amongst them and training them in jordan. deposing mubarak to install the muslim brotherhood in egypt, a fanatic islamist fascist organization. not interfearing in the iran recent revuolution where thousands of iranian citizens were mowed and murdered on the streets. all these are your president's ACTIONS. and you blame israel for its inaction????????????????? go complain to your idiot in chief for his idiotic dangerous foreign policies and leave the israelis alone.

Your talkback is full of total untruths from start to finish. And I think you know that perfectly well. The only truth is that you obviously hate the only democracy in the Middle East. The question is why?

>dealing with opinions opposed to your own. Call the opponent a moron, declare his future responses as predictable, yep, comrad, that's the way, tovarisch!

his own people on YOUR border, the US would be begging Israel for assitance. At least, advice in which direction to run away. And what does the fact that Egyptians and Syrians find it easiest to settle their internal problems by killing themselves have to do with the "palestinians"? Nothing. The glory days of the US military ended in 1945, Israel doesn't need you to do the jobs that need to be done.

Obama has Himself hinted at and said the US would step in. Can we not trust that Usefull Idiots own Words ?. Further - Why does Ynetnews post this Idiot ? The only reason I can figure out is that to expose Israels enemies Idiocy. Nr. 18 has the point. Arn.Sweden.

- he understands anything about MilitaryStrategy and Tactic ? The US surely is preventing Israeli action against Iran because, Israels Action would be much more Blunt, lacking the military equippmen the US has. Iran would be much more Damaged, if Israel would act alone, than if the US participated or did it alone. Arn.Sweden.

The world is equally evil to over look in principle, blaming Israel and paranoid about almost everything. I'm not saying every Arabs are evil but Arabs in the name of islam call for the destruction of Israel. Every political move to make peace by the EU, UN, USA and the Arabs is creating many doors for an easy destruction of Israel in the event of wars. Creating danger rather security for Israel. Arab Muslims on one hand compete for leadership between different sect of islam to lead for power to annihilate the Jews. Saddam Hussein and Assad are they not of different branded Muslim yet both used WMD. One one hand Pakistan is nuclear and Iran is building..simultaneously on the other hand UN, EU and Arabs said check Israel if they really have 300 nuclear bombs!!!!????? The Shias and the sunni have fresh and raw evil on each other, Israel will be the next if if if if Israel give ways to the world to be accepted. God bless Israel