ISRAEL HAS WARY EYE ON IRAN AFTER SYRIAN REBELS LOSE ALEPPO: The fall of Aleppo to Syrian government forces backed by Russia and Iran has heightened alarm in Israel about potential threats to its borders and a wider reshaping of the region. The war in Syria has enabled Iran, whose Supreme Leader has called for an end to the Jewish state, to steadily increase its influence across the region. Avi Dichter, chair of Israel's foreign affairs and defense committee said Iran had tried several times in the past to move forces into the Syrian Golan Heights. Those moves were repelled, Dichter said, but with Iran flush with cash and confidence after last year's agreement restricting Iran's nuclear program, it was possible further attempts would be made to test Israel's responses. "We have no intention to allow Hizbullah to test their sophisticated weapons because there are no other targets in the Middle East except Israel when Hizbullah and Iran think about an offensive initiative," said Dichter. "By all means Israel is going to stop it."

Likewise, on 15 Dec. 2016, Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that Israel's interest lay in having both Assad and the Iranians out of Syria. “Assad is a butcher, who has slaughtered and murdered hundreds of thousands of people, including by using chemical weapons. In my opinion, he should be removed from power - and we should block Iranian involvement in Syria. Where is the international community? It's a shame that instead of focusing on the very unfortunate fact that 500 people are killed in the Middle East every day, the international community would rather criticize Israel for every new balcony built in a settlement." (Ha'aretz/Reuters)