9 - A Northern Dilemma

Summary

The fragile political status quo between Israel and Syria existing since the end of the last formal war between the two states in 1972 – a tense and fragile armistice – serves as the background for Israel’s policy in the current Syrian conflict surveyed in the chapter. Israel’s policy was modeled according to an organising principle combining humanitarian and military activity: building civilian bridges, on the one hand, while acting militarily to secure Israeli interests, on the other hand. Israel was acting initially as a ’passive onlooker’, then as a ’good neighbour’, and, more recently, as a declared rival against the Iranian presence in Syria. The chapter explores these Israeli policies, in addition to ’humanitarian diplomacy’ – the civilian and government assistance provided in the Syrian Golan Heights area – and Israel’s role in the efforts to build a set of common interests with Syrian opposition groups. Finally, this chapter addresses the new challenges and opportunities facing Israel in light of the shifting situation across its north-eastern border.