Netanyahu's former advisor: Assad's overthrow was not good for Israel

MİLLİYET.COM.TR / Ran Baratz, former advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, made remarkable statements in the live broadcast he participated in regarding the development that changed the balances in Syria. Baratz argued that the overthrow of the Assad regime does not serve Israel's interests and said that the Tel Aviv administration would prefer the old regime to survive.

'HE CHANGED THE ACCOUNTS'

In the program, Baratz evaluated the new era in Syria and Türkiye's influence in the region. Claiming that the Assad administration created a more predictable picture for Israel despite its support for Hezbollah, the former advisor stated that the overthrow of the regime changed Tel Aviv's calculations.

'IT WAS NOT GOOD FOR US'

The most striking part of Baratz's statements were his words directly related to Türkiye. The former advisor said, "The Turks overthrew the Assad regime. But this was definitely not good for us. We would have preferred Assad even though he supported Hezbollah." he said.

Thus, while Baratz argued that regime change in Syria was not an expected outcome for Israel, he pointed out that Türkiye's moves in the region did not coincide with Tel Aviv's calculations.

'IT CANNOT CREATE AS MUCH A THREAT AS THE STATE'

The former Israeli advisor described the Assad regime as "not aggressive." Arguing that the old regime posed less of a threat to Israel despite its relationship with Hezbollah, Baratz explained the reason for this with the view that "an organization cannot pose as much of a threat as a state."

'NEW EQUATION'

Baratz's words also revealed how Türkiye's influence in Syria is evaluated by Israel. In his broader assessments, the former advisor directly linked the new era in Syria to the increasing influence of Türkiye, arguing that Ankara's role in the region creates a new equation for Tel Aviv.

'IT IS NOT A THREAT ON PAPER'

Baratz also claimed that the new Syrian administration has established greater control over the country compared to the Assad period, and that Türkiye's support has changed the balance of power on the field. According to the former advisor, this change led to Syria, which was previously seen as a threat only on paper, becoming a more serious security issue for Israel.