Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday defended the government's decision to strike in Syria and its warnings to Turkish President Erdogan, lashing out at critics who called the warnings 'unnecessary and dangerous.' Those holding such views should not reach positions of influence, Katz wrote.
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday morning escalated his rhetoric against domestic critics of the government's decision to strike a Syrian airbase and its warnings to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In a statement, Katz described the critics' views as 'dangerous' to Israel's security, saying they first deemed the strike 'unnecessary and politically motivated,' then shifted to calling the warnings to Erdogan 'unnecessary and dangerous.' Katz added that those holding such views 'do not influence anything today—and for Israel's security, should not reach positions of influence with such views in the future.' The remarks follow Katz's Saturday afternoon statements defending the operation.
Throughout Saturday (Aug 22, 15:40 Jerusalem), Katz issued a series of statements detailing the decision-making process behind the strike on the Abu al-Duhur airbase. He said the IDF recommended the strike multiple times based on intelligence that Turkey intended to use the base against Israel; that Prime Minister Netanyahu and he issued a direct warning to the Syrian regime at the highest level; that Washington was informed; and that the strike was authorized after Syria ignored the warning. Katz accused opposition figures and parts of the media of politicizing the operation, characterizing Erdogan as having been 'caught with his hand in the cookie jar' and forced to retreat.
As The Zioneer reported on Thursday, Aug 20, Katz directly warned Erdogan not to 'test Israel's resolve' and accused him of dragging Turkey into 'dangerous adventures in Syria.' On Aug 19, The Zioneer cited Israeli analysts warning that a Turkish advanced radar on Syrian soil could severely limit Israeli Air Force operations and expose future flights to Iran. Over the past months, The Zioneer has reported on Katz's broader security doctrine, including his insistence that the IDF will remain in security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza indefinitely.
Katz did not name specific individuals in his Sunday statement, leaving the target of his criticism as an unspecified circle of commentators and political figures. No public response from those critics has been reported as of this morning.
7 developments
- StrongStrike in Syria attributed to Israel; commentator calls it a clear signal to Turkey
- DevelopingMinister Miki Zohar: Israel does US a favor by not attacking Iran
- DevelopingDefense Minister Katz: 'We will not leave a situation where our soldiers are harmed unilaterally'
- DevelopingIsraeli commentator: 'Sad we need American approval to strike those who harm our forces'
Source and signal
- Open-source intake