The Arenas Between Rounds

Lior Ben Ari analyzes Israel's security situation between rounds of fighting, focusing on the open fronts in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. He emphasizes that threats persist even when the focus shifts to Iran, and mentions an Israeli strike in Syria during Operation 'Roar of the Lion'. The article examines Syria's changing status under President al-Sharaa and Israel's need for international backing.

Lior Ben Ari analyzes Israel's complex security situation between rounds of fighting, focusing on the open fronts around it. He argues that as long as the fronts in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza remain open, threats exist and attention jumps from one threat circle to another. As an example, he notes that on March 20, 2025, during Operation 'Roar of the Lion' against Iran, the IDF attacked Syrian regime infrastructure in southern Syria in response to attacks against the Druze population in the al-Suwayda area. The article examines Syria's changing status under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who is gaining international legitimacy and avoiding confrontation with Israel. However, Israel continues its activity in southern Syria, while international actors call for its withdrawal. Ben Ari notes that Israel and the new Syria share a common interest in the fight against Iran, and that Syria recently thwarted an attempt to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah. He concludes that Israel needs more partners and as few open fronts as possible, especially given that critical issues like missiles and funding for Iran's proxies were not included in the memorandum of understanding with the US.

The Arenas Between Rounds