An Analysis of the Threat to Israel from the Growing Iranian Presence in Syria.

Abstract

It is the hypothesis of this paper that the best strategy for Israel to pursue in dealing with the growing Iranian presence in Syria is to continue with its strategy of Mabam, or the “war between wars”, in order to weaken the Iranian presence as well as deescalate the situation without resorting to outright warfare. Iranian presence in this case is the Shiite forces in Iran, the military capabilities which are being built, and the factories to produce weapons. ========== Because this issue is relatively recent, to support the hypothesis, this paper has relied primarily on papers and studies from think tanks such as the Institute for National Security Studies, the Washington Institute, The Atlantic Council, and the Jewish Institute for National Security of America. Additionally, Dr. Charles Freilich’s book “Israeli National Security” was extremely helpful when looking at this issue in a larger context. Other sources include media sources such as Haaretz, the BBC, and the Guardian which range in how extensively they cover the Iran and Israel issue or whether they touch on aspects of the issue. Writers such as Michael Herzog, Udi Dekel, and Assaf Orion cover this topic in depth and I have relied heavily on their various articles for information. Where possible, I have relied on relevant books for background or analysis.