The Jihadist in a Suit: Ahmed al-Sharaa 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 Ahmed al-Sharaa and his Turkish patron Erdogan. According to him, Turkey has become an 'enemy state' in the eyes of the defense 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 Ahmed al-Sharaa (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,' a proxy of Turkey with Iranian backing, trying to rebuild the Syrian army while deceiving the US, Europe, and Israel. The recent IAF strike deep in Syria, in the Idlib area near the Turkish border, was intended to send a message to al-Sharaa 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 defense establishment, and the threat from 'advanced armies' like the Turkish army is repositioning itself. Israel seeks to preserve a security status quo that allows freedom of flight and intelligence gathering over Syria and Lebanon, without penetration by 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-Sharaa has nuclear material from the attacked North Korean reactor and refuses to hand it over.