Liberman on Syria strikes: Israel keeping WMDs from Hezbollah - by Judah Ari Gross and Raphael Ahren - http://www.timesofisrael.com/liberman-israel-attacked-syria-to-stop-hezbollah-from-getting-wmds/
In rare admission defense minister tells EU ambassadors IAF active in Syria, says peace with Palestinians far off
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman acknowledged that Israel was responsible for recent attacks in Syria, saying on Wednesday that they were meant to prevent "advanced weapons, military equipment and weapons of mass destruction" from reaching Hezbollah.
Speaking to ambassadors from the European Union, Liberman did not specify what incident or incidents he is referring to, saying only "what was done in Syria," according to a statement from his office.
"We are working, first and foremost, to defend the safety of our citizens and to protect our sovereignty, and we are trying to prevent the smuggling of advanced weapons, military equipment and weapons of mass destruction from Syria to Hezbollah," he said.
He did not expand on what weapons of mass destruction Hezbollah may have been trying to acquire.
During the meeting with EU officials, the defense minister also laid out his view for how Israel would like to see the Syrian civil war resolved and his skepticism at the prospects of a peace deal with the Palestinians in the near future.
One EU ambassador told The Times of Israel that a "good, constructive conversation" had been held with Liberman, but expressed "deep concern" over the so-called regulation bill, which would legalize some Israeli settlements built on private Palestinian land.
"They entire world is watching" what Israel is doing with this bill, the ambassador said, requesting anonymity.
On Wednesday morning, a bombing near a Damascus military airport was blamed on Israel.
"At 3:00 a.m., the Israeli enemy fired several surface-to-surface missiles from inside occupied territory," the Syrian state news agency SANA said, citing a military source. The report said the Israeli missiles caused a large fire but no injuries or deaths.
Last week, Israeli planes also reportedly struck both a weapons site near the Syrian capital and a Hezbollah convoy, causing some large explosions but also no casualties.
Israel generally does not officially admit to carrying out attacks deep inside Syria, though it has publicly maintained it will not allow advanced weapons to be transferred to Hezbollah.
In his remarks, the defense minister insisted that Israel is not interested in getting involved in the Syrian civil war, but will work to defend itself.
Regarding an eventual resolution to the civil war, which has been raging since 2011 and has caused the deaths of the hundreds of thousands of people, Liberman said he would be amenable to any peace deal - so long as it does not include Iran and Syrian President Bashar Assad.
"When I am asked, time after time, what a possible future agreement with Syria will be like, I say that my position is that regardless of what agreement will be in Syria - the Iranians and [Syrian President Bashar] Assad have to be out of Syria and not be a part of any deal," Liberman said.
The defense minister also dismissed the possibility of a peace agreement with the Palestinians anytime soon, calling it "unrealistic and impossible" for one to be reached at the point in time.
"The notion of a permanent solution will have to be postponed for at least a few years, and in the meantime, we need to ensure normal lives in Judea and Samaria for both Jews and Palestinians," Liberman said, using the biblical term for the West Bank.
The defense minister scolded European leaders in general for considering Israeli settlements to be "the biggest problem in the world," pointing to deadlier conflicts around the world.
"At least five hundred people are killed each day in the Middle East, from South Sudan to Iraq, which is much more serious and important than what is happening in Amona, but this is something you don't see in the European press," he said.
Addressing the EU ambassadors directly, he said: "The fact that you are always talking about the settlements is hypocritical. I'm waiting for you to start talking about North Korea and the Iranians' ballistic missiles."
Israel trying to keep chemical arms from Hezbollah, Liberman says - By Judah Ari Gross - http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-trying-to-keep-chemical-arms-from-hezbollah-liberman-says/
Comments follow defense minister's previous statement that terror group was seeking WMDs, after Syria accused Israel of Damascus bombing
Israel is working to keep chemical weapons out of Hezbollah's hands, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said Thursday, clarifying comments a day earlier that hinted the terror group was attempting to obtain mass-casualty arms.
In a conversation with the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Liberman again seemed to confirm that Israeli forces had been behind two recent strikes inside Syria that had been blamed on the Jewish State.
The defense minister again insisted that Israel has "absolutely no interest" in getting involved in the Syrian civil war, but will work to defend itself.
"Our policies and our positions are very clear and are based on three red lines: We won't allow any harm to the citizens of the State of Israel, we won't allow any harm to the sovereignty of the State of Israel and we will not allow the smuggling of high-quality advanced weapons and chemical weapons from Syria to Lebanon for Hezbollah," Liberman said.
The comments echoed a statement he made a day earlier to ambassadors from the European Union addressing recent airstrikes in Syria.
"We are working, first and foremost, to defend the safety of our citizens and to protect our sovereignty, and we are trying to prevent the smuggling of advanced weapons, military equipment and weapons of mass destruction from Syria to Hezbollah," Liberman told the European ambassadors.
Asked to clarify what weapons of mass destruction were being moved late Wednesday, a defense ministry spokesman said there would be no comment.
In his remarks to the Knesset committee Thursday, Liberman also stressed the Jewish state's freedom to act, saying the country "makes its decisions absolutely freely, in accordance with the policies I listed" - his "red lines" - "and without considerations for any other circumstances or limitations."
The comments were apparently an attempt to deny the idea that the presence of the Russian military is preventing or deterring Israel from carrying out strikes in Syria.
On Wednesday morning, a bombing near a Damascus military airport was blamed on Israel.
"At 3:00 a.m., the Israeli enemy fired several surface-to-surface missiles from inside occupied territory," the Syrian state news agency SANA said, citing a military source. The report said the Israeli missiles caused a large fire but no injuries or deaths.
Last week, Israeli planes also reportedly struck both a weapons site near the Syrian capital and a Hezbollah convoy, causing some large explosions but also no casualties.
Israel generally does not officially admit to carrying out attacks deep inside Syria, though it has publicly maintained it will not allow advanced weapons to be transferred to Hezbollah.
These once regular airstrikes on Hezbollah convoys and Syrian weapons depots have slowed in recent months, with many claiming that Russia's deployment of the long-range, advanced S-400 missile defense system in western Syria has deterred Israel from carrying out airstrikes in Syria and curbed Israel's once unquestioned air superiority in the region.
Israeli security officials, including former defense minister Moshe Ya'alon, have dismissed such claims, but few believe that the S-400 has had no effect on Israel's operations.
A senior air force official, speaking to reporters last month, noted that the Russians' deployment in Syria represented a "challenge" to the Israeli military, but said the country still operated as needed in the region.
Hezbollah denies it promised Russia no attacks on Israel - Zack Pyzer - http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Hezbollah-denies-it-promised-Russia-no-attacks-on-Israel-474924
Hezbollah is "almost certain" that the IAF was behind strikes on its forces from Lebanese airspace on Wednesday.
Hezbollah said on Friday that there is no truth to reports it assured Russia there would be no military response to the alleged Israeli strikes on its forces in Syria on Wednesday, according to a Hezbollah statement read out on its Al-Manar TV station.
The terror organization said the reports were an "invention."
"These reports are a total lie and fabrication," the statement read.
Despite the strong denials, Hezbollah did not explicitly promise an attack, leaving doubt as to whether one will be forthcoming.
The Syrian regime accused Israel of firing surface-to-surface missiles targeting the Mezzeh Air Base near Damascus on Wednesday, causing damage but no casualties.
Hezbollah's Al-Maydeen television channel said the group "was almost certain" that the Israel Air Force carried out the strikes from Lebanese airspace.
If Hezbollah does strike at Israel, it would not be for the first time since the end of the 2006 Second Lebanon War.
In January 2015, following a reported Israeli air strike on a convoy of Hezbollah and Iranian operatives who were constructing a terrorist base in the Syrian Golan, Hezbollah retaliated, firing a volley of Kornet guided missiles an IDF convoy, killing a soldier and commander in their D-Max vehicle. The attack was launched from five kilometers away on the Lebanese side of the border with Israel.
Russia is heavily backing the Assad regime in the Syrian Civil War, which relies also on the manpower of the Lebanese terror group, in addition to other foreign allies on the ground such as Iran's Al Quds Force. If true, the rumors that Hezbollah might refrain from attacking Israel would insinuate the giving of orders from Moscow to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah to show restraint.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has regularly visited and held telephone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past year in order to try and secure Israel's interests in the region. With Russia stationing S-300 anti-aircraft missiles in Syria, Israel has been keen to ensure that the system is not used against Israeli planes.
Israel, which usually neither confirms nor denies responsibility for alleged strikes, is "working primarily to protect the security of our citizens, defend our sovereignty, and prevent the smuggling of sophisticated weapons, military equipment and weapons of mass destruction from Syria to Hezbollah," Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said on Wednesday, following the claims by the Assad regime.
In April, Netanyahu admitted for the first time that the IDF had carried out strikes in Syrian territory.
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