As a reminder that there may not be any good solutions (only least bad
ones) in the Middle East, comes a speech by Moshe Yaalon: ----------------------------------

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said Tuesday that Iran poses a greater
threat than the Islamic State, and that if the Syrian regime were to
fall, Israel would prefer that IS was in control of the territory than
an Iranian proxy.

“In Syria, if the choice is between Iran and the Islamic State, I
choose the Islamic State. They don’t have the capabilities that Iran
has,” Ya’alon told a conference held by the Institute of National
Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

“Our greatest enemy is the Iranian regime that has declared war on
us,” the defense minister said of the threats facing Israel. “Iran
tried to open a terror front against us on the Golan Heights,” he said
in reference to efforts by Iranian proxy Hezbollah to plan attacks on
Israel.

With its nuclear deal and recent lifting of sanctions, Tehran “has
escaped international isolation” and become a “central player” in
Syria, he continued. Both the US and Russia are treating Iran as “part
of the solution” to the Syrian civil war, Ya’alon said. “Iran
determines future of Syria and if it leads to perpetuation, Iranian
hegemony in Syria will be huge challenge for Israel,” he said. [...]

Turning to the situation in Israel, Ya’alon maintained that Gaza’s
ruler Hamas, which has fought Israel on three occasions in recent
years, was deterred and was not seeking an escalation. “Our presence
prevents Hamas or IS takeover of Palestinian areas,” he said. The
defense minister dismissed international efforts to push a peace
agreement.

Full article at http://www.timesofisrael.com/yaalon-i-would-prefer-islamic-state-to-iran-in-syria/
--
Yisroel "Godwrestler Warriorson" Markov - Boston, MA Member www.reason.com -- for a sober analysis of the world DNRC --------------------------------------------------------------------
"Judge, and be prepared to be judged" -- Ayn Rand

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