If the answer to this question is Yes, and there is nothing deviding Syrians from Southern Syrians before WWI and most Palestinians called themselves as much even at 1948, then truely all options are open because these people don't care about outcomes of actions. If Syrians are not Palestinians then maybe just maybe they will use some judgent and compare how Lebanon is coping with its situation over one year after the war. Keeping in mind that Lebanon is NOT on the US naughty list and has much better relations than Syria does with Europe.

Clearly they have no choice but to do nothing - unless they do something to bring on a war - which apparently they dont want right now. That's not using your 'judgment' in a clever, calculating sense as has been intoned. No, Dr Ganor credits the Syrian leadership with more than they deserve. It seems highly likely their new Russian defense set up was defeated and they are now "on notice" not to get too ambitious. Thinking that they have the means to effectively engage Israel. They dont. There is nothing in it for them.

Syria, a sovereign state, certainly would be within its right to respond to Israeli aggression and violations of its sovereignty by attacking Israel's civilian infrastructure based the reckless response that Israel demonstrated in Lebanon, but thankfully Syria is proving itself to be a far more mature and honorable country than Israel, and one that, regardless of the reckless aggressiveness of the Israeli regime, has chosen the proper method of dealing with such violations, rather than following the absurd example set by Tel Aviv. The world community and UN should applaud and reward Syrian restraint by proving to the region that Israel's reckless acts of aggression will not go unpunished. Israel's expulsion from the UN for a period of 5 years would be a good starting point, and send a signal to Israel that such actions will not be permitted.

Israel has shown and proven that its a state that will not sit one minute without provoking its neighbors. when the palis show restraint all of a sudden the Israeli tanks start bombing, drawing pali counter strikes. when Syria cries for peace all of a sudden olmert and co start making massive military excersices in the Golan heights, its like telling your nest door neighbor hey lets shake hands only to see him ignore you and continue on practicing throwing darts at your picture. and for the Israelis that say oh well hizbullah has provoked Israel, to those i say till this day hizbullah has a right cause they have an occupied land by israel. to all these Arabs and Muslim countries i say this , Israel will not behave with un resolutions and speeches, eye for an eye ,that is the solution, or israel will keep poking you in the eyes. "Evil prevails when good men fail to act"

The Russians overflew NATO airspace just last week. We're sick to death of listening to these blushing violets, the Syrians claiming to be outraged over this that or the other. Call up Putin and get the operator manuals for your state of the art Russian AA systems if you're so furious about it. Otherwise STFU.

Syria is not practising 'restraint' at all. Syria is sanctioning attacks against its enemies using proxy groups, while being too cowardly to act against its enemies directly. Against Israel, it is a fact that the most recent Islamic Jihad rocket barrage from Gaza was ordered from Damascus, with full knowledge of the Damascus regime. In Lebanon, after the Syrian army were effectively booted out of the country, the Syrian tentacles continue to use local stooges to bump off local Lebanese politicians and support local Islamist terror groups that attack the Lebanese army. Syria gets Hizbullah to attack Israel, so that the Israeli inevitable retaliation does not strike Syria. Brave Syria will fight Israel down to the last Lebanese.

Regardless of your baseless accusations, Syria is and has not attacked anyone, not even by proxy, by which I presume you mean the funding of the Hezbollah militia that is successfully defending S Lebanon from Israeli aggression. Even Israel eventually admitted what everyone knew during Israel's 2006 aggression towards Lebanon, that Israel was planning an attack and was just waiting for an excuse, which I'm sure they set up as well. Israel is also certainly not in the position of criticizing others for "bumping off" those who oppose it or supporting those who support its regional interests either. As far as Gaza, the retaliatory rocket barrage from Gaza, I recall that the Palestinian had honored a one-sided cease fire for months, but where forced to end it in response to Israeli attacks upon Gazans, attacks that resulted in the deaths of many innocents and that were condemned by all, so you cannot blame Syria for retaliation for Israeli actions in the occupied Palestinian territories either.

You know full well, like you know your own face, that the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon was certified as being 100% complete in 2000 by the United Nations. You know full well, that Hizbullah initiated a cross-border invasion of sovereign Israeli territory, in which rockets were fired, soldiers killed, and others kidnapped before Israel fired a single shot. You know full well that Islamic terror organizations are sitting in Damascus with full protection of the Syrian terror regime and giving orders to their 'military wings' in Gaza to carry out attacks against Israel. You know very well that all these things are barefaced facts, habibi, and you only deceive yourself if you think otherwise. Therefore, do not think that anyone gives a SH*T if Israel sends spy planes over Syria. Just be thankful, as this is the least that terror regime should expect.

You write :".. Syria is .. an honorable country ..". Syria IS sending suicide bombers through the porous borders to Iraq to MURDER Iraqi people. And you call that behaviour of Syria honorable ?!?!? BTW America SHOULD punish Syria, SHOULD take tough action against Syria -- for the mayhem caused by Syria in Iraq.

Ahmed Jibril's in not of Democratic front as claimed by the YNet source.

You say :".., Syria has not attacked anyone by proxy ". And later on you say :".. you cannot blame Syria for retaliation for Israeli actions in Gaza either". You are contradicting yourself here. FIRST you say that Syria has not attacked anyone by proxy. BUT than you say that Syria DID attack Israel through its proxies in the Gaza Strip. THIS exhibition of yours shows that you are quite confused. CONCLUSION : the words of a confused person has NO value whatsoever. BTW what education can you give to Jake#6 ? You are certainly NOT in a position to educate anyone !! Mister, you should first take steps to cure your mental condition !

Israel's blatant act of war against Syria, a sovereign state, most certainly justifies a harsh response by Syria and the World community, but a reckless military response as demonstrated by Israel in 2006 is not the way civilized nations like Syria behave. Instead, I would suggest that Syria and Turkey petition the UN General Assembly to kick Israel out of the United Nations indefinitely as, which is can be done without threat of a US veto and would further enforce Israel's pariah status among the nations of the world. Hopefully that would send a clear message to Israel's leaders that their continued war mongering will not be allowed.

no matter you slice it, the Syrian gov't is admant on a military response, and Israel will pay dearly, this time, I beleive by a syiran comando attacking deep in the occupied Golan Heights, where Israel is inept and can not do anything...Lets wait and see.

Hezbollah is always a threat reguardless of the relationship between Syria and Israel. The threat in Judea-Samaria is there no matter what and the longer we wait, the more it will fester. Gaza is a short sweep. Ah,yes, the Diaspora. Well, time they realized their consideration long ago needed to be moved to the bottom of the list when it came to Israeli lives. What the hell are they doing still being Diaspora? In other words,the sooner Syria lights the fuse of its' own destruction, the better for Israel. "For Judah shall be as a torch and the enemy as straw,Judah shall devour all around and on the left and the right" December. L'Shana Tovah.

Remember the "thing" that injured more than 60 Israeli soldiers in their "training" camp? Go figure.

Sryia got caught with their panties down. They are shitting themselves- and should be. As for the UN- they are as corrupt and irrelevant as it gets. The UN is the laughing stock of diplomatic endeavors.

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To Mr. Doesn'tknowitall, It's obvious that no one will change your mind no matter what they say. It's just ashame that being from the United States your so pro Syrian witch means your also pro Iran and its a known fact that both are terrorist states that give money and arms to terror groups witch in turn kill many american soliders in Iraq. Not to mention innocent women and children. If you found out that the state next to you was intent to destroy you and your family wouldn't you do everything in your power to protect you and yours? Of course you would.

I just reread the coments from others and realized you're probley not from the U.S. if thats the case you are pro syrian and pro iranian and you will see the might of the U.S. and Isreal together to destroy the EVIEL nations of Syria and Iran!! GOD BLESS AMERICA AND PASS THE AMMO!!