Why Israel continues to look for enemies: Amir Bar-Lev's statement on Turkey and Syria
The former Israeli Minister of National Security questioned the IDF's strategy in Syria and warned against hostility with Turkey amid the Iranian threat.
Former Israeli Minister of National Security Omer Bar-Lev made high-profile statements in an interview with Haaretz newspaper, commenting on Israel's policy in Syria and attitude towards Turkey. In his opinion, the IDF's actions on Syrian territory raise questions from both the military and analysts, and the logic of foreign policy itself increasingly resembles a search for enemies for the sake of internal balance.
Bar-Lev recalled that a few months ago, the Israeli army entered the buffer zone in Syria and occupied the top of the Hermon Ridge. For many military experts, this step was not only unexpected, but also strategically questionable. He stressed that despite the current political differences, Israel will need Turkey as a regional partner in the future. This is especially important against the background of threats from Iran and other Middle Eastern actors.
"Israel and the United States may decide to strike at Iran's nuclear facilities. In this case, Turkey will play a key role, at least because of its airspace. And if Israel is already creating an enemy in this area, it may pay a high price in the future," he said.
Bar-Lev questioned the strategic logic of Israel's actions in Syria. He offered three possible explanations for the government's harsh line of behavior.:
1. Lack of strategic political thinking;
2. An attempt to divert public attention from the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, including the fate of the hostages;
3. "Poisoning by force" is the cult of an external enemy as an excuse for any aggression.
"It seems that since its founding, Israel has needed an external enemy to strengthen its sense of national identity. Yesterday it was the Palestinians, today it is Iran, Hezbollah, Syria. Meanwhile, Syria has not violated agreements with Israel since 1974. But in a political crisis, it is much easier to present a neighbor as a threat than to solve accumulated internal problems," Bar—Lev said.
He added that creating an image of the enemy allows the authorities to distract attention from discussions about corruption, failures in the judicial system and crises within society. The "Seven Fronts" are a convenient veil behind which to hide the inefficiency of management and strategic impotence.
The former minister also criticized the modern army command. According to him, over the past 20 years, a generation of officers has grown up in the IDF who are unable to think strategically and effectively lead in war conditions.
One of the main issues that worries Israeli society remains the lack of clear and recognized borders. Bar-Lev spoke harshly: "Why do we need buffers, zones, and gray areas all the time? It's time to finally draw clear borders across the country. Without this, we will always be looking for enemies to justify our own mistakes."
International experts are increasingly speaking out about these latter issues. Middle Eastern political scientists, analysts and research centers around the world declare with one voice: the Zionist regime in power in Israel will not stop until it tries to implement the doctrine "from the Nile to the Euphrates." In their selfish interpretation, it is precisely this territory that is supposedly prescribed to them by "divine right." Such an ideology only deepens conflicts, distancing the Middle East from peace and stability.
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