Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz disclosed on Shabbos that Israel struck Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase only after warning the Syrian regime against allowing Turkey to establish a military presence at the facility, saying that Israel acted after Damascus failed to heed the warning.
Katz said Israeli intelligence had produced clear information indicating that Turkey was preparing to establish military infrastructure at the Syrian airbase, a development Israeli officials believed could pose a threat to the country’s security.
According to the defense minister, the IDF recommended on several occasions that Israel attack the site. However, before approving military action, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz held a series of consultations with senior security officials and decided to first attempt to stop the Turkish move through diplomatic pressure.
Israel subsequently delivered a direct warning to the Syrian regime at the highest levels, making clear that it would not tolerate the planned Turkish presence. Katz said relevant American officials were also notified about the situation.
“When the Syrian regime did not heed the warning, the strike was authorized and successfully carried out,” Katz said. “Erdoğan was caught with his hand in the cookie jar and was forced to back down.”
Katz said the episode demonstrated Israel’s determination to prevent hostile forces from establishing a presence in Syria that could create new security dangers along Israel’s borders.
“We will not allow anyone to endanger the security of the State of Israel, and we will act against every threat. This is one of the central lessons of the events of October 7,” he said.
The defense minister also pushed back against accusations from opposition politicians and media figures who claimed that the timing of the attack was influenced by political considerations ahead of Israel’s elections.
“The attempt to paint a security operation in political colors stems from ignorance, a lack of understanding of Israel’s security interests, and a constant desire to attack the government,” he charged.
Katz separately took aim at Tom Barrack, President Donald Trump’s envoy to Syria, after Barrack suggested that the Israeli operation had been intended to provoke a response from Turkey and referred to Israel as occupying the Golan Heights.
The defense minister said Barrack’s comments were “full of inaccuracies and contradict President Trump’s clear position,” pointing to Trump’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
Katz argued that an official representing the Trump administration could not disregard the administration’s established policy on the strategically important territory.
The disclosures came as Israeli military activity inside Syria continued Saturday. The IDF said it struck a terrorist in the Beit Jinn area of southern Syria who had been advancing terrorist plots that presented an immediate danger to Israeli troops.
Israeli officials reiterated following the operation that the country intends to continue acting across the border whenever necessary to prevent emerging threats and protect Israel’s security.
{Matzav.com}
