Former head of Israeli military intelligence welcomes 'chaos' in Syria

Former Israeli Military Intelligence Chief Tamir Hayman has publicly expressed support for the "power struggles" within Syria, believing that "chaos" in Syria is beneficial to Israel. This statement has attracted widespread attention and may exacerbate regional tensions.

In an interview with Israeli Army Radio, Hayman said, "Chaos in Syria is beneficial. Let them fight each other. But Israel should remain silent and not make any public statements. It should act calmly." He currently serves as the head of the Institute for National Security Studies and welcomes the conflicts between various factions in Syria, but emphasizes that Israel must maintain a low profile.

Hayman pointed out that although there appears to be a power struggle in Syria in the short term, the new government is trying to expand its control. He described the chaotic situation of various forces fighting in Syria and stated that this chaos is, to some extent, beneficial to Israel. He also mentioned Israel's attacks on southern Syria.

The violence Hayman referred to began last Thursday when militants loyal to Assad attacked security forces in the coastal region, home to members of the Alawite community, to which Assad and most of his loyalists belong. The conflict quickly escalated into retaliatory attacks against civilians, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of displacements. These killings have intensified sectarianism and an atmosphere of intimidation, posing a significant challenge to the credibility of the new Syrian government, especially targeting civilians in the Alawite community.

Meanwhile, Israel launched airstrikes on the Syrian capital Damascus on Thursday, and the Israeli Defense Minister threatened Syria's interim President, Ahmed Shala, further exacerbating the chaos in Syria. The Israeli military stated that the target of the attacks was a command center of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which was used to direct "terrorist activities" against Israel. Syrian state media reported that the attacks occurred in a residential area in the suburbs. Reuters quoted Syrian security sources as saying that the target of the attack was a Palestinian individual. Additionally, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Israeli forces also deployed tanks and military vehicles into the countryside of the Quneitra region of Syria on Thursday, detonating former military sites.

Last month, Israel conducted a series of airstrikes on military bases inside Syria, following a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding the "complete demilitarization" of southern Syria. At least two people were killed in the attacks. In his speech, Netanyahu specifically mentioned the Syrian Druze community living in the Sweida region. "We will not tolerate any threats to the Druze community in southern Syria," he said. The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that it has provided humanitarian aid to the Druze community in Syria in recent weeks. Analysts believe that Israel's overtures to the Druze community are part of a strategy to divide Syria. Since last December, Israel has conducted fierce airstrikes against Syrian military infrastructure, leaving the new government, ravaged by 14 years of civil war, with little military capacity to respond.