The Jihadist in a Suit: Ahmad al-Shara is No Longer a Mystery, but the New Threat from the North

Walla commentator, Brig. Gen. (res.) Avi Benayahu, analyzes the Israeli strike deep in Syria as a message to Syrian ruler Ahmad al-Shara and his Turkish patron Erdogan. According to him, Turkey has become an 'enemy state' in the eyes of the security establishment, and the threat from 'advanced armies' like the Turkish army is repositioning itself. Israel seeks to preserve aerial freedom of action in Syria, while Iran weakens and Turkey takes its place, amid dependence on the faltering policy of the US.

Walla commentator, Brig. Gen. (res.) Avi Benayahu, argues in an opinion piece that Syrian ruler Ahmad al-Shara (formerly Abu Muhammad al-Julani) is no longer a mystery to Israeli intelligence, but a clear enemy. Benayahu describes him as a 'jihadist in a suit', an envoy of Turkey with Iranian backing, trying to rebuild the Syrian army while deceiving the US, Europe, and Israel. The recent Israeli Air Force strike deep in Syria, in the Idlib area near the Turkish border, was intended to send a message to al-Shara and Erdogan that Israel will not allow Syrian soil to become a base for foreign forces threatening it. According to him, Turkey has become an 'enemy state' in the eyes of the Israeli security establishment, and the threat from 'advanced armies' like the Turkish army is repositioning itself. Israel seeks to maintain a security status quo that allows flight freedom and intelligence gathering over Syria and Lebanon, without penetration of Turkish air defense systems. While Iran weakens in the northern arena, Turkey takes its place, and dependence on US policy, perceived as faltering and avoiding confrontations, poses a significant challenge. Benayahu notes that al-Shara has nuclear material from the attacked North Korean reactor and refuses to hand it over.