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“The USA is withdrawing its forces from Syria with the claim that IS was the only reason for them being in the country, the disregard for Iranian entrenchment in Syria is dangerous to Israel,” opposition leader MK Tzipi Livni of the Zionist Union tweeted.
(Deborah Danan – Breitbart) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have tried in vain to persuade President Donald Trump to walk back his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, a move that was met with significant “disappointment” in Jerusalem, Israeli media reported.
Israeli political figures have said that the move represents a possible blow to regional security, leaving the Jewish state to single-handedly combat the threat posed by the Iranian presence in the embattled country.
In Netanyahu’s public remarks, he said that he had spoken with both Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who “made it clear that they had other ways to express their influence in the arena.”
“This is, of course, America’s decision,” he added. “We will study the timetable, the mode of operation, and of course the implications for us. In any case, we will take care to protect Israel’s security and to protect ourselves from that arena.”
However, a Channel 10 report broadcast on Wednesday said that Netanyahu had made several failed attempts to convince Trump to change his mind and that senior Israeli officials view the withdrawal as “a slap in the face” for Israel. The U.S. presence in Syria was “the only bargaining chip” in Israel’s attempts to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to assist in preventing Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, the report said.