Israel Matzav

Report: Israel to carve out 'buffer zone' in Syria

Take this with a grain of salt because it came from the Times of London (originally) but it's been reported that Israel has developed a plan to create a buffer zone along the Golan Heights between Israel and Syria.

“A buffer zone set up with the co-operation of local villagers lies at the heart of the plan. If the country remains unstable we might have to stay there for years,” The Times quoted a military planner as saying.

A security fence is currently being erected from Mount Avital south to the point where the Israeli, Syrian and Jordanian borders meet on the southern Golan Heights, but, according to the military source, a buffer zone is necessary to prevent daily mortar and rocket attacks.

"We knew then that there was a strongman in Damascus. But not any more. The new wall will be good when it’s ready but without the buffer zone mortar and rocket attacks on Israel would be a daily event," The Times quoted the military source as saying.

The prime minister was previously quoted as saying Israel needs to construct a border fence with Syria on the Golan Heights because the Syrian army has moved away from the frontier, and global jihad elements have moved into the area in its place.

The prime minister said he issued a directive not to disband the Defense Ministry staff responsible for the construction of the fence, and to continue building security barriers on all of Israel’s other frontiers, “first and foremost on our border with Syria.”

I know this is necessary as is the wall along the Egyptian border and the 'security fence' around Gaza. (Judea and Samaria is a separate issue and I believe that politics are as big a factor there as the security considerations).

But why is this this country beginning to feel like a larger version of the European ghettos?

Labels: Bashar al-Assad, Free Syrian Army, Golan Heights, security fence, Syria, Syrian uprising

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:29 AM