Former Head Of Israeli Military Intelligence Welcomes ‘Chaos’ In Syria

Alawites in Syria are hoping for Israel’s protection: “Alawite Syrians to ‘Post’: We need Israel’s help from jihadist atrocities – exclusive,” by Ohad Merlin, Jerusalem Post, March 11, 2025:

The Alawites Know That Their Enemy is Not Israel

The Alawites were well aware of the warning given to the Syrians by Defense Minister Israel Katz on March 1, that “We will not allow the extreme Islamic regime in Syria to harm the Druze. If the regime harms them , it will be struck by us.” And once that warning was issued, the regime’s gunmen withdrew from Jaramana, the Druze town on the southern outskirts of Damascus. What the call by some Alawites for similar protection to that now provided by Israel to the Druze demonstrates is that the Alawites know that Israelis are not a sinister enemy, as they were taught to believe. It is doubtful that the Israelis would be able to offer the help to the Alawites that it has done for the Druze. The Druze in Syria are right on the border with Israel. Tens of thousands of the Druze live on Israel’s part of the Golan Heights, that the Jewish state annexed in 1981. On the Syrian part of the Golan that the IDF has just taken over, intending to stay, are more tens of thousands. Israel’s Druze serve in the IDF, and thus have earned Israel’s assurance that the Druze in Syria — there are 600,000 of them — if threatened by the jihadist regime, will have the Jewish state’s protection.

Former Head Of Israeli Military Intelligence Welcomes ‘Chaos’ In Syria

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“Everyone is fighting each other. An agreement with the Kurds on the 1st day, a massacre against the Alawites on the 2nd, & a threat to the Druze on the 3rd day…” The former head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate has voiced his support for the “power struggle” in Syria, adding that the “chaos” benefits Israel. “The chaos in Syria is beneficial. Let them fight each other. But Israel should remain silent on this matter and not make any public statements. It should act calmly,” Tamir Hayman said in an interview with the Israeli Army Radio. Hayman, who now serves as the director of the Institute for National Security Studies, welcomed the conflict between the different factions in Syria, but added that Israel must stay quiet. “We wish victory to all forces, but we must do one thing, do this silently, and not talk about it.”

Their concept of victory is a rather strange

He said while in the short term there appears to be power struggle in Syria, the new government is trying to extend its control. “Everyone is fighting each other. An agreement with the Kurds on the first day, a massacre against the Alawites on the second day, and a threat to the Druze on the third day… All this chaos in addition to an Israeli attack on the south… All this chaos is somewhat good for Israel,” he explained. The former military commander was referencing the violence that began on last Thursday when gunmen allegedly loyal to Assad launched attacks on security forces in the coastal region, home to members of the Alawi community, to which Assad and most of his loyalists belong. Clashes spiraled into revenge attacks on civilians, leaving hundreds dead and thousands displaced. The killings have stoked an atmosphere of sectarianism and intimidation, and posed a massive challenge for the credibility of Syria’s nascent government. Civilians belonging to the Alawi community were particularly targeted. Tensions in the area had been high ever since Assad’s ouster, with Alawis saying they have been victims of occasional reprisal attacks. While the new Syrian administration’s defense ministry said it had completed its operations against “regime remnants”, residents of the coastal cities say violence has not ended, despite being reduced.

Further destabilization and attacks

Meanwhile, Israel carried out an air strike on the Syrian capital Damascus on Thursday, as its defence minister threatened Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, adding to the chaos in Syria. Israel’s military said it was targeting what it described as a command center belonging to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which it said was used to direct “terrorist activities” against Israel.
Major General (Ret.) Tamir Hayman, Wiki Commons .
Middle East Eye could not independently verify the claim. The strike took place in a residential area at the edge of Damascus, Syrian state media reported. The target of the strike was a Palestinian person, two Syrian security sources told Reuters. It was not immediately clear if anyone was wounded in the attack. Elsewhere on Thursday, Israeli forces advanced into the countryside in Syria’s al-Quneitra region with tanks and military vehicles, detonating former military sites, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Last month, Israel carried out a series of air strikes on what it said were military bases in Syria, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech demanding a “complete demilitarisation” of Syria’s south. At least two were killed in the attacks. During the speech, Netanyahu made specific reference to Syria’s Druze community, who live predominantly in the Sweida region. “We will not tolerate any threat to the Druze community in southern Syria,” he said.
On Thursday, Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed it had sent humanitarian aid to Druze communities in Syria over the past few weeks. Analysts have suggested that Israel’s overtures to the Druze community are part of attempts to divide Syria. Israel has carried out heavy air strikes against Syrian military infrastructure since December, leaving the new administration – already battered from 14 years of civil war – with little capacity to respond militarily.