Israel wants Assad weakened not toppled - That’s the paradox
Israel is an actor in this drama in that its actions in Lebanon and Syria significantly weakened two of Assad’s primary backers – Hezbollah and Iran – prompting the rebels to strike
But Israel is only an indirect actor not actively involved in the fighting taking place in the north of Syria
Nevertheless Israel has definite interests in Syria, primarily to weaken the Iranian-Syrian-Hezbollah axis and prevent Iran from using Syria as it has in the past, to rearm and build up Hezbollah
A weakened Syrian regime under Assad therefore is in Israel’s interest
But here’s the rub: Israel would like to see Assad weakened but not overmuch and not toppled
Why weakened? 1. So that Syria will be unable for generations to pose a credible threat to Israel 2. The long-running civil war has taken Syria out of the circle of countries that can pose a conventional threat
