Israeli Defense Minister Says US 'Can't Sit On The Fence' In Syria

[Purveyor]

Source: i24 News

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon has criticized the US for its lack of involvement in the Middle East and said that America "can't sit on the fence with regard to the Middle East and ISIS."

"It should lead and be more involved," Ya'alon said during a talk at the Saban Forum in Washington D.C. Friday.

The defense minister said that when it comes to Syria, Sunnis and Kurds can provide the "boots on the ground" but that they need to be “orchestrated and led.”

"Western troops in the Middle East should be the last resort. You should empower local forces to fight," Ya'alon said.

Read more: http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/94584-151205-israeli-defense-minister-says-us-can-t-sit-on-the-fence-in-syria

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Ya’alon: US Is Ceding Leadership In Region To Russia

Defense Minister: IS can only be defeated by ‘boots on the ground’ but Western troops are ‘last resort’]

By Rebecca Shimoni Stoil December 5, 2015, 6:12 am

WASHINGTON — Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon called upon the US to play a more influential role in combatting the Islamic State group and warned of increased Russian and Iranian influence in the region, during a Friday evening address at the Brooking Institution’s Saban Forum.

Speaking before an audience that included former peace negotiators Martin Indyk, Dennis Ross and David Makovsky, as well as a number of members of Congress, Ya’alon also described defense relationship between the US and Israel as “superb,” even stressing US President Barack Obama’s efforts to speed up the renewal of a key defense agreement between Jerusalem and Washington.

Ya’alon, who has occasionally touched nerves in Washington with his criticism of Secretary of State John Kerry and his occasionally defiant rhetoric, instead tread carefully – if analytically – when asked if President Obama was acting correctly in response to IS and the Syrian civil war.

“This is a global challenge in which I believe the United States should be the leader of the Western world in order to meet this challenge,” Ya’alon said. He emphasized that it was desirable “to avoid Western boots on the ground on one hand,” but noted that on the other hand “you can’t defeat Daesh [Arabic acronym for Islamic State] without boots on the ground.”

more...

http://www.timesofisrael.com/yaalon-us-is-ceding-leadership-in-region-to-russia/

[leveymg]

1. Sounds like he's calling on us to lead Jihad and genocide

Aren't those the things America is supposed to be fighting?

[840high]

4. We do butt into everything.

[Gore1FL]

2. Who knew 8500 sorties was "sitting on the fence?" n/t

[fingrin]

5. Whoever knew that

Russian destroying over 1000 oil tankers in the last few months without warning, verses America dropping leaflets giving 45 minutes "Warning" (wink, wink) was sitting on the fence either.

[Gore1FL]

10. Link to the dropping leaflets giving 45 minutes "Warning"

Thanks!

Or are you talking about this?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3331503/US-military-drops-leaflets-warning-civilian-truck-drivers-45-minutes-airstrike.html

Because your description is spun quite differently than the full story.

[Fearless]

3. Yeahhhh... no thanks.

[Steviehh]

6. Hey, Ya'alon

You're right there, got the weapons...why don't you do it?


Afraid of fighters who have weapons and fight back?

[oberliner]

7. You agree that US has ceded leadership to Russia on this front, correct?

It seems from your other posts that you do - is that fair to say?

[Purveyor]

12. I certainly hope so. I think Russia can do no worse than the clusterfuck we have created in the ME.

[oberliner]

14. Russia has created its own clusterfucks in the ME over the years

Afghanistan comes to mind, for instance.

[Purveyor]

15. One can dig back through the archives and find many 'clusterfucks' created by many countries if

one should want to play that card.

Today is what I'm most concerned about...

[nyabingi]

8. The Israelis haven't lifted one finger to combat ISIS

because they'd rather see ISIS (a group directed by Israel's allies) take over an adjacent country than see Assad stay in power.

Their former ambassador to the US said just that and it naturally received scant attention in our media. Should have been a big deal in my opinion.

http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.547538

[Purveyor]

13. They rarely 'lift a finger', unless you look back decades, against a foe that can actually

fight back. Their populace have a very low tolerance for dead jewish israelis.

[nyabingi]

19. Good point (nt)

[madokie]

9. F* him

and the rest of the leadership of Israel. Warmongering assholes, all of them.

[BillZBubb]

11. So, as usual, Israel wants the US to do its fighting for it.

Funny that when the Obama administration tried to provide leadership to solve the Israel-Palestine mess, Israel repudiated him and actively denounced him. Same on solving the Iran/nuclear situation.

No thanks, Israel. Do your own dirty work.

[Marrah_G]

16. We are helping some of the groups, we are also doing airstrikes

It is not up to us to lead. I am sick and fucking tired of Israel presume to tell us what we should be spending our money and blood on. Since THEY are the ones getting money from us it should be THEM who does the listening.

[roamer65]

17. Notice how he says "Sunnis"

More evidence Israel is in bed with the Turks and Saudis.

[Jesus Malverde]

18. Translation

Please destroy hezbolla for us. They kicked our butts last time and we don't like casualties or humiliations.