SINCE the fall of former Syrian President Basher al-Assad over the weekend, Israel has launched hundreds of attacks on Syria, taking out an estimated 70 to 80% of Syrian strategic military assets.
It follows on from Israel striking Iran and Lebanon, all the while attacking the besieged enclave of Gaza. According to Al Jazeera, Israel has killed at least 48,833 people over the past 14 months.
A video of an Israeli flag being raised on top of Mount Hermon – the summit of which straddles the border of Syria and Lebanon and is the highest point in Syria – has been going viral on social media and many have expressed fears we are seeing the “Greater Israel” project coming to life.
But what does that mean and is it really happening? We spoke to Middle East expert Richard McNeil-Willson to find out more.
What is Israel doing in Syria?
Syria and Israel fought against each other in the Middle East wars of 1948, 1967 and 1973 and formally regard each other as enemy states.
Since al-Assad’s flight to Russia on Sunday, Israel has attacked Syria more than 400 times and, despite UN protests, launched a military incursion into the buffer zone along the Golan Heights that has separated the two countries since 1974.
Israel says it is focused on destroying Syrian military infrastructure and claims that it is trying to stop weapons from landing in the hands of “extremists”, a label it attaches to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the primary Syrian opposition group that led the operation to overthrow al-Assad.
Syrian security forces have also reported Israeli tanks advancing from the Golan Heights into Qatana, 10km (six miles) into Syrian territory and close to the capital.
George Katrougalos, the UN Independent Expert on the International Order, said this week Israel’s attacks on Syria are another example of its unlawful behaviour in the region.
He told The National: “This is the systematic destruction of Syrian military, navy, aircraft and air force, to degrade it and leave it defenceless. This is an illegal act and an illegal invasion.
“What’s really notable is that Israel has adopted this language of counter terrorism as a way of conducting expansion. It’s a very powerful language because that’s also the language adopted by the West since the war on terror, so this is Israel attempting to frame the illegal occupation of land, whether in Gaza or Syria, as counter-terrorism.”
What is Greater Israel?
On Monday, independent MP Zarah Sultana – who was suspended from Labour earlier this year for voting against the Government – warned Benjamin Netanyahu’s idea of a “Greater Israel is unfolding, seizing land in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, unchecked by the international community”.
Fresh interest in the term was sparked recently by a Jerusalem Post article – which was quickly deleted – questioning whether Lebanon and parts of other Middle Eastern countries are part of Israel's "promised land".
McNeil-Willson explained that what exactly Greater Israel encompasses depends on who you speak to, but he was keen to stress that Israel – given how it was conceived and created – is inherently expansionist.
Asked if he felt the “Greater Israel” project was happening, he said: “Yes and no.
“Zionism itself, anything to do with the creation of Israel and the establishment of the Israeli state, is expansionist.
“We are definitely seeing an expansion of Israeli borders going on. I’d be hesitant to tie it completely to what is sometimes referred to as Greater Israel because Israel itself is expansionist. It always has that inherent process within it in terms of expanding, ethnic cleansing and settlement.
“We’ve seen this over and over again with the Nakba in 1948, we’ve seen this in 1967 with the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, we’ve seen it with annexation of the Golan Heights in 1991. There’s a general pattern of expansion, of ethnic and cultural extermination and removal, and settlement and then further expansion on top of that.
“What’s happening in Syria at the moment within the last few days and the invasion of Israeli troops into Syria, is again that same pattern from 1948 of expansion, of removal, of settlement and continued expansion.
“There is an inherent expansionism within Zionism coupled with a far-right government which has decided that militarism is the way it will carry this out since 2023.”
What should the UK Government be doing?
McNeil-Willson said Israel is again being given “free reign” to carry out another invasion in Syria and the UK Government should be stopping arms sales and applying pressure.
Various states have criticised Israel’s attacks on Syria, including Egypt, France, Iraq, Qatar, Russia and Saudi Arabia, but notably not the UK.
Pat McFadden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, backed Israel's bombing campaign in Syria earlier this week adding "we will always support Israel's right to defend itself and make itself secure".
“As a pure baseline, arms sales need to be stopped and there needs to be international pressure, pressure from the UK, to stop ongoing war crimes and genocide taking place in Gaza, and the invasions of Lebanon and Syria,” McNeil-Willson said.
“While that’s not happening, Israel is focusing on a military approach and it is expanding because that’s what it will do when it is given no checks and balances.”
