Consider the Middle East order that was prevalent during most of the Cold War. Israel was under U.S. influence, but Egypt and Syria were under Soviet influence until Anwar Sadat bolted into the American camp. What remained under Soviet influence (today’s Russia) was Syria.
If there is ever a constant during almost 70 years of Soviet influence in the Arab world is Syria under the banner of the Assad regime. Assad’s role was to destabilize the region, spread terror, and create havoc on behalf of the KGB, which the family was brilliant at.
It took an uprising and a civil war to finally weaken the psychotic Assad family. For the Arab rulers, with Assad gone, it was an opportunity to stop his extortion, his terror, and his threats that kept them awake for long hours at night. Arming his opposition was a no-brainer.
For Israel, as long as Assad kept the borders calm, the country’s rotating leadership lived with the devil next door. However, the moment Assad invited Iran openly into Syria to expand the Axis of Evil, all bets were off. Assad became an instant threat to Israeli interests.
When the uprising began in March of 2011 against the Assad regime, it did not take a genius to know where Israel and the Arab countries stood. This was an opportunity to rid themselves of a psychopath in favor of a more moderate government.
Assad, however, spoiled their goals after he released hardcore Islamists into the wild, forged ISIS, and empowered al-Qaeda by buying oil he allowed the terrorists to control to show the world who his alternatives were. In the meanwhile, Barack Obama refused to assist the moderates in Syria for fear it might derail his Iran Deal with the Mullahs. A deal he wanted badly to sign to punish Israel, a country he grew hating.
Instigating the Palestinians against Israel, arming the Houthis in Yemen, and destabilizing the Golf countries internally are all part of the response the Axis of Evil countries have in store for those who supported the uprising against Assad. Palestinians killing Jews in Israel today is the Syrian/Iranian/Russian response to the support Israel and the Arab countries are lending the rebels fighting against Assad, Hezbollah, and the IRGC. All are Putin’s partners.
It is not a coincidence that Palestinian terror against Jewish civilians began just two weeks into Russia cementing its foothold in Syria. The best defense is a good offense.
So, next time Putin appeases the Jews by talking up his fight against Islamic terror and his bravado to defeat ISIS, remember where Putin came from, and how the Soviet Union armed the Arab armies to attack Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967 and during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Putin was very much part of that system as a KGB officer.
In Putin’s world Jerusalem is the new Constantinople, and Syria is his gateway to Jerusalem now that Barack Obama has abandoned Israel to the wolves. Don’t expect him to let you in on his plans. Just follow the man and his history to realize that in Putin’s world Jerusalem is the new Constantinople he will be seeking after he stabilizes Assad, and unleashes proxy Iran against Israel to do his dirty work.
Trust Putin in Syria at your own peril.
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