Opinion  Ron Ben-Yishai
Israel signals Russia and Iran: We're not scared of military conflict
Ron Ben-Yishai
Published: 09.04.18, 23:56
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35 Talkbacks for this article
1. No. This isn't as firm as Ron Ben-Yishai wants to think.
Roberto Feldmann ,   Santiago   (04.10.18)
Israel would risk some measure of friction with Putin, and would continue some pin-point strikes on some of the Iranian IRGC " advisors' " terrorist entrenchment and transfer of weapons.

But to say Israel won't tolerate Iran owning Syria, being willing to operate in Syria openly more than occasionally, that's not the case. This is Ron Ben-Yishai's trasnlation of what he and the IDF wish to project. Not more.
2. Who will win?
(04.10.18)
I predict the teams will be as follows:

(maybe USA), Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia

vs

Russia, Iran, Syria, (Turkey?)

Team Israel has the superior technology but Iran will be formidable with Russian intelligence and aid
3. Israel promoting war and it will get what it desires!
ironbutterfly ,   Naples, FL   (04.10.18)
But israeli nazi government should know this: its army is not the army of 1960s-1970s. There are very few so called "patriots" who are will to play the stupid war games. Most israelis today don't wish to pay the price. If israeli government thinks that IT is not "AFRAID" of war, it represents ITSELF, and not the people.
PEOPLE do not want to fight anymore, so the war the nazi government wish for itself, they will get it and loose big time. And that will be the final step of zionist experiment.
4. Thank you Mr. Putin for your efforts against ISIS...
JVC ,   LA, USA   (04.10.18)
now its time to go home and deal with your failing country. Jews to Judea. Arabs to Arabia, Russians to Russia. It's not hard.
5. Ah Lord, moves & events are assuming their own momentum
Cameron   (04.10.18)
Well, the Persians and Israelis were fated to cross swords, and now it has come to pass.

Persian installations directly attacked & Persian personnel shredded.

Putin would be well advised to get a tight handle on the Persians and their activity in Syria.

Israelis & Persians finally having it out is one thing, but Russian forces actively stepping in means we roll in for game as well, come what may.

Been dreading this kind of Syrian trip wire scenario, but here it is.

6. Coward Jews sucker punch Neighbors, shoot Children and Press
Steve Benassi ,   Duluth, MN USA   (04.10.18)
....afraid to fight on the ground in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran.
7. Great, the super power Israel is ready to what again?
Mr Reason ,   Berlin   (04.10.18)
Israel is playing with the fire. Unfortunately most of the Israeli political Establishments is being comprised of Anglo-Saxonian educated figures, who along with it’s Western partners are missing a very important development. The West is on the losing site. It has lost it’s unchallenged ability to design the world at is likings. It still can manage the position it holds, but not through illegal acts of war, sanctions or other tools it is used to be able to apply. Who gave the right to the West to invade and destroy several countries in ME as it happened in recent past? Who gave the West the right to get a fascistic junta in Ukraine? Why the NATO expanded to Russias borders?
Israel has to be a mediator.
It should show initiative for a dialog in ME for a common security. US has no real security interests there, only economical. So they should not call the shots, since it’s not their blood being spilled there. Threats against Iran will not solve it’s security interests. When UK and USA ousted the elected Iranian government and placed a dictator instead to make more money in 1953, this is when the recent Iranian hostility begins.
Get the Anglo-Saxonian imperialists out of there and begin with Russia a trust building process with a goal to create a stable ME.
Also, abandon the two state solution. Israel can not allow a fully armed Hamas in Gaza, Judea.
8. great job IAF! Syrian air space getting increasingly tense
Rafi ,   US   (04.10.18)
if others don't want casualties, damage & death... they should stay away; go back home.

Iran in particular will fight to the last Lebanese Hezbollah, Afghani, and Iraqi Shia mercenary...
9. dangerous times in Syria - and Trump's paralyzed by scandal
Rafi ,   US   (04.10.18)
10. Vladdy...
manic drummer ,   Haifa   (04.10.18)
...before you release an official response, read Ezekiel 39:1-6.
11. so childish
(04.10.18)
A Dutch chilgren song describes the situation perfectly:
On a small airfield early in the morning
stand seven warplanes, neatly in a row
and the mschinists turn the antennas
krakke krakke puff puff, all is gone.
12. RUSSIA
LARRY LISS   (04.10.18)
will not risk direcT conflict with THE IDF OR USAF THEY CONSIDER arabs a doormat for there NAVEL BASE IN SYRIA Putin and Trump have too much to loose as in the cold war remember PAD mutual mass destruction no one is risking the end game for a bunch of arabs. ISRAEL will remove assad on its own from a drone 10,000 ft high IRAN WILL NOT DO SQUAT knowing F-35S AND F-15S WITH BUNKER BUSTER BOMBS WILL TAKE OUT THERE COMM SYSTEMS AND ICBMS
13. Lieberman and Bennett
areieh   (04.10.18)
yishai is overstating things. bibi is staying quiet himself but lieberman and bennett and galant are showing quiet strength. and the word is israel will take action for its own interests and vladimir should understand it. good relations have limits with russia as interests diverge. lots of russian weapons are in iran and syria and hezbollah hands.

israel will fight for its survival against anyone. if that means differences with trump and putin, so be it.
14. Showdown ?!
yosef ,   jerusalem   (04.10.18)
Right on, IAF !! Much needed statement of courage and determination, also from the Prime-minister ! V. Putin knows well, that in a possible showdown,
the Russian air-force may be duly embarassed...
15. An interesting commentary BUT...........
Shep ,   Memphis   (04.10.18)
I agree with most of the observations of Ron Ben-Yishai, but was wondering why he didn't hypothesize about the many possibilities and shapes that retaliation by Russia, Iran (Turkey?) and Syria could take place. He left it open ended. I believe the Israelis are looking for any legit pretense to attack the Iranian assets in Syria - which could include Russian and Syrian assets if they appear to join the fray. I DO EXPECT Israel to destroy as many S-300 and S-400 Russian air defense systems as they can find. Israel has already been clear to Russia that as much as Israel wants to have good relations.....Russia's acting as Iran's nurturing mother in Syria is an untenable situation. I am sure that both Iranian and Russian military leaders already know they are establishing bases easily within Israeli reach...which puts them at peril at any time. The wild card is ...of course...Donald Trump....if he leaves Syria then Israel will be forced to wage a war immediately because if they don't ...Russian and Iran are sure to triple down on building their military infrastructure...Assad and Putin need to internalize that they will NEVER have peace in Syria if Iran (and Hezbollah) is allowed to remain their.
16. ISRAEL, OUR HUMAN/HUMENKIND ON OUR OWN CERTAIN PLANET... .
SJOERD VAN DER VELDE ,   HOORN IN HOLLAND   (04.10.18)
FOR EXAMPLE, IN PRINCIPLE, IN THIS THAT CASE, WE ALL, ON OUR OWN CERTAIN PLANET, TERRA/EARTH, HAVE/WILL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY/OBLIGATION, FOR HAVING SECURITY, SAFETY, WELLFARE, CULTURE, CIVILIZATION, PEACE AND WELL-BEING, FOR, OF, WITH AND BY OUR OWN PRESENT, ENTIRE HUMAN/HUMENKIND, HUMAN/HUMEN WORLD-POPULATION AND HUMAN/HUMEN RACE,IN THE WORLD OF OUR OWN CERTAIN PLANET, IN OUR UNIVERSE/MULTIVERSE, FROM NOW ON, 2018, SJOERD RUURD VAN DER VELDE/VAN DER VELDE, SJOERD RUURD.
17. When we DO instead of "over-analyzing" we achieve the most!
(04.10.18)
18. Ron Ben Yishai
Maurice Rosenfeld ,   antwerp   (04.10.18)
Sjoerd van de velde : Hou aub op met uw onnozel commentaar.
19. Russia is an enemy of Israel
Rafael ,   Johannesburg   (04.10.18)
Israel must wipe Iran from Syria. To do so Israel should destroy the Russian military presence in Syria totally.
20. The longer we wait for fight back the harder it will be
(04.11.18)
21. In a real war...
Avi ,   NYC, NY   (04.11.18)
...Tzahal will fold like a wet paper bag.
Next thing the Jewish Arabs together with the Druze will rediscover their Arab origins and betray us.
22. Until now it was made with USSR's closing both eyes
Avi L.   (04.11.18)
Until now it was made with USSR's closing both eyes and turning the other side.

"Israel signals Russia and Iran: We're not scared of military conflict" ???

What is this madness?

Israel isn't in any NATO-like alliance with the US.

The US have no obligation, not even paper ones, to come to Israel's help in a conflict with KGB colonel Putin's USSR.

Instead of trying and bring Putin to see some advantage in curbing Tehran's mollahs power in Syria, Donald postures as a third class actor and brings down Russia and Israel understanding about strikes in Syria based on common interests.

Differently from democratically elected politicians, dictators or "authoritarian presidents" cannot back down, they would show weakness and it would be their end.

Putin cannot back down, russian diplomats are shouting to western deaf ears that USSR doesn't want any conflict, they should also explain that Putin cannot loose face, not even for a higher good, because czar Putin's power is the only "higher good" in nowaday USSR.

Putin "makes a move" in the baltic region and puny european and US ground forces won't be able to stop him. So what?

It looks like that Donald is playing into Tehran's hands bringing down Israel-Russia mutual game of "no see, no hear, no speak"

Donald is no good for the Jews, neither is Bibi
23. Not scared? Well we should
Avi L.   (04.11.18)
Until now it was made with USSR's closing both eyes and turning the other side.

"Israel signals Russia and Iran: We're not scared of military conflict" ???

What is this madness?

Israel isn't in any NATO-like alliance with the US.

The US have no obligation, not even paper ones, to come to Israel's help in a conflict with KGB colonel Putin's USSR.

Instead of trying and bring Putin to see some advantage in curbing Tehran's mollahs power in Syria, Donald postures as a third class actor and brings down Russia and Israel understanding about strikes in Syria based on common interests.

Differently from democratically elected politicians, dictators or "authoritarian presidents" cannot back down, they would show weakness and it would be their end.

Putin cannot back down, russian diplomats are shouting to western deaf ears that USSR doesn't want any conflict, they should also explain that Putin cannot loose face, not even for a higher good, because czar Putin's power is the only "higher good" in nowaday USSR.

Putin "makes a move" in the baltic region and puny european and US ground forces won't be able to stop him. So what?

It looks like that Donald is playing into Tehran's hands bringing down Israel-Russia mutual game of "no see, no hear, no speak"

Donald is no good for the Jews, neither is Bibi
24. What is this madness?
Avi L.   (04.11.18)
Until now it was made with USSR's closing both eyes and turning the other side.

"Israel signals Russia and Iran: We're not scared of military conflict" ???

What is this madness?

Israel isn't in any NATO-like alliance with the US.

The US have no obligation, not even paper ones, to come to Israel's help in a conflict with KGB colonel Putin's USSR.

Instead of trying and bring Putin to see some advantage in curbing Tehran's mollahs power in Syria, Donald postures as a third class actor and brings down Russia and Israel understanding about strikes in Syria based on common interests.

Differently from democratically elected politicians, dictators or "authoritarian presidents" cannot back down, they would show weakness and it would be their end.

Putin cannot back down, russian diplomats are shouting to western deaf ears that USSR doesn't want any conflict, they should also explain that Putin cannot loose face, not even for a higher good, because czar Putin's power is the only "higher good" in nowaday USSR.

Putin "makes a move" in the baltic region and puny european and US ground forces won't be able to stop him. So what?

It looks like that Donald is playing into Tehran's hands bringing down Israel-Russia mutual game of "no see, no hear, no speak"

Donald is no good for the Jews, neither is Bibi
25. At this point let Russia out and strike Iran directly
Avi L.   (04.11.18)
At this point let Russia out and strike Iran directly.

It is useless to slap the hand when the head keeps intact.

Putin would see his shares in Syria business grow proportionally.

there is no money to be earned in Syria, who will ever invest what money? China? what for? Qatar ... maybe
26. Russia Could Make Israel A Smoking Radioactive Crater.
World Citizen ,   the world   (10.03.18)
Israel has nukes but not that many delivery systems. Russia could absorb all the Israelis could throw at them. Israel on the other hand is small. Russia could send it all back in spades. Let that sink into the incredibly dense Israeli skull for a moment. Otherwise this time around what is left of you can truthfully claim we lost six million.
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