Israeli DM: Lack of Syria Invasion a ‘Lesson’ to Israel

Can't Count on Other Nations to Start Wars, Warns Barak

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak spoke at the World Economic Forum today to caution that the lack of anyone invading Syria proved to Israel that the international community couldn’t be counted on to invade Iran either.

Expressing hope at US “readiness” to launch an attack on Iran, even if it was only meant to “delay” the advance of its civilian nuclear program, but that unilateral US aggression couldn’t always be counted on.

Barak also cited the Egyptian Revolution as proof of the limits of US unilateralism, while lamenting the loss of Mubarak and citing the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood-led government in Egypt as a source of regional instability.

Barak is assumed to be an “outgoing” defense minister after this week’s election, with his party not even contesting the vote amid claims he wants to spend more time with his family. There is speculation that he could be appointed as defense minister for another term by Prime Minister Netanyahu, however, as a non-MP minister.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.