Israeli ex-security chiefs condemn Netanyahu over eight Syria strikes near Turkish border
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Israel carried out eight airstrikes on Syria's Abu Zuhur air base, about 70 km from the Turkish border, on Aug. 18. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike sent Ankara a message not to deploy troops there; Türkiye rejected the claim as an attempt to legitimize attacks on Syria's sovereignty. Former Israeli security chiefs including Ehud Barak and Yair Golan called the strike provocative and warned it could drag Israel into war with Türkiye.
Key Facts
- Israel launched eight airstrikes on Syria's Abu Zuhur air base, located about 70 km from the Turkish border, on Aug. 18.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would not tolerate Turkey's military expansion southward and described the strike as a message to Ankara that was delivered 'more clearly' after the initial warning went unheeded.
- Defense Minister Israel Katz said President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was dragging Turkey into dangerous adventures in Syria and that Israel would not allow any structure to threaten its security.
- Former prime minister and defense minister Ehud Barak called Netanyahu's Türkiye policy irresponsible and foolish, linking the escalation to upcoming elections.
- Former IDF deputy chief of staff Yair Golan described the Abu Zuhur strike as a provocative and dangerous step that brings Israel closer to conflict with Türkiye and deepens the rift with allies, especially the United States.
The Abu Zuhur Strike
Israel carried out eight airstrikes on the Abu Zuhur air base in northern Syria on Aug. 18, targeting a site about 70 km from the Turkish border. Turkish authorities rejected Israel's account, saying the claims aimed to legitimize attacks on Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Damascus had been about to allow Turkish troops to deploy at the base, prompting the Israeli strike. Speaking a day after the attack in a podcast interview, Netanyahu said Israel would not tolerate a Turkish military buildup spreading southward.
Netanyahu's Warning to Ankara
Netanyahu said the message to Ankara was 'Don't,' adding that Israel had made itself understood 'more clearly' after the initial warning went unheeded. He stated that Israel would not allow Türkiye to establish itself militarily southward and framed the strike as a response to a threat. Defense Minister Israel Katz told President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan he was dragging Turkey into dangerous adventures in Syria, writing in Hebrew on X that Israel would not allow any structure to threaten its security. Katz added that Erdoğan should continue making speeches rather than testing Israel.
Reaction of Israeli Security Veterans
Former prime minister, defense minister and IDF chief of staff Ehud Barak called Netanyahu's Türkiye policy irresponsible and foolish, linking the escalation to upcoming elections. Barak argued that Türkiye cannot be placed in the same category as Iran or Bashar al-Assad's Syria and said strategic problems with Ankara can be resolved through quiet diplomacy coordinated with the United States. Former IDF deputy chief of staff and Democrats Party leader Yair Golan called the Abu Zuhur strike a provocative and dangerous move that brings Israel closer to conflict with Türkiye and deepens the rift with allies, especially the United States. Former Mossad deputy chief and lawmaker Ram Ben-Barak accepted Israel's security concerns about Turkish military activity in Syria but opposed entering a military conflict with Ankara, saying the solution must be diplomatic rather than military escalation.
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Israeli ex-security chiefs condemn Netanyahu over eight Syria strikes near Turkish border
