Clear Warnings

Naturally, it is no coincidence that yesterday Israel fired two ballistic missiles in the Mediterranean that were registered by Russian radar stations. And naturally, it is just as little of a coincidence that these were aimed toward the east. If such a thing happens, just at the climax of the debate about a military strike against Syria, then this is to be interpreted as Israel’s clear warning to Syria and also its protector Russia — and an indirect warning to Iran.

It should make it clear to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad that it would amount to an enormous risk if he continues to fight the opposition in the face of the delayed decision in Washington. This warning is also valid in case the U.S. Congress refrains from agreeing to an attack and Barack Obama abides by this vote. The message to Putin may be that he should reconsider the inauspicious alliance with Assad and give up the policy of blockading the U.N. Security Council, clearing the path for a diplomatic solution there. And Tehran? The message of the “hawks” in Jerusalem is likewise clear here: In case of doubt, if Obama should let the country down in the nuclear dispute with Iran, Israel can take care of itself. To draw false conclusions from the present standstill in the Syrian conflict and flat out continue to strive for nuclear armament could prove to be a mistake for the mullah regime.