The Israelis And Just About Everyone Else Are Scrambling To Save Assad

Check out this crappy analysis from Ha’aretz:

Washington, Israel, Turkey and Iran all have great reasons to want Assad to remain at the helm. The Syrian president has grown closer to the United States in recent years, earning his reward in the form of the return of an American ambassador to Damascus after a six-year hiatus. He is seen as a safety valve against a violent attack by Hezbollah on Israel or against its physical takeover of Lebanon. He has also made known his disagreements with Iran following the controversial visit of Ahmadinejad to Lebanon.

So Assad’s downfall would boost Hezbollah and Iran? Is Zvi Bar’el living under a rock?

His analysis is not consistent with the fact that Hezbollah’s TV stations are being hush hush about what is happening in Syria. It’s not consistent with the fact that Hezbollah’s mortal enemies in Lebanon are quietly relishing what’s happening in Syria. It’s not consistent with the fact that anti-Assad protesters are shouting anti-Hezbollah slogans in their protests. It’s not even consistent with Buthayna Shaaban’s statement that Syria is being targeted because of its support for the resistance.

So what is it consistent with? It’s consistent with Israel’s own self interest in negotiating peace treaties with despots. It’s consistent with Israeli fear of the “Islamists” taking power. But they have to sell their position to the world, and “Iran will take over” sounds much better than “We like to make deals with dictators”, doesn’t it?