Lieberman: Hizbullah, Syria Not Interested in Conflict with Israel
Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Avigdor Lieberman said Tuesday that neither Hizbullah nor the Syrian regime were interested in engaging in war with the Jewish state.
"Hizbullah and (Syrian President Bashar) Assad are not interested in a conflict with Israel. They understand the consequences of Israel entering the battlefield and beginning to play an active role," Lieberman told Israeli Army radio.
Only "an extreme incident" would necessitate an Israeli response, he said.
The former foreign minister stressed that the transfer of chemical weapons to Hizbullah or a missile attack on Israel were cases that would require a military response.
Lieberman said that, while Israel has no interest in becoming involved in Syria's civil war, a possible strike by the U.S. and its allies against Assad could potentially "drag" Israel into the conflict.
He told his interviewer that the U.S. position as the world's leading super power and Washington's ability to influence world events would be judged by whether or not it strikes Syria.
Western countries including the U.S. are considering their response to an alleged chemical weapons attack by Assad's regime on August 21.
But the Syrian government, which is backed by Hizbullah members in its fight against the armed opposition, accused rebels of using the chemical weapons.
It also warned Washington not to launch any military action, saying such a move would set the Middle East ablaze.
Syria is intertwined in alliances with Iran, Hizbullah and Palestinian militant groups. The country also borders its longtime foe and U.S. ally Israel, making the fallout from military action unpredictable.
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