According to sources speaking to Reuters, Israeli officials told the US that the new leaders in Syria supported by Ankara pose a threat to Israel’s borders. Aron Lund, who works at the US-based think tank Century International, highlighted that Israel’s greatest fear is Turkey protecting the new order in Syria.

Four sources familiar with the matter speaking to Reuters indicated that Israel has conducted lobbying activities with the US to keep Syria weak and distant from the center, while allowing Russia to maintain military bases in the region to counter Turkey’s increasing influence. These sources mentioned that during the Gaza war, tensions between Turkey and Israel escalated, with Israeli officials informing Washington that the new leaders supported by Ankara pose a threat to Israel’s borders. The lobbying efforts point to a critical juncture for Syria, where opponents of Bashar al-Assad are trying to stabilize the fractured state and lift punitive US sanctions, signifying Israel’s vigorous campaign to influence US policies. Three American sources and another person familiar with the discussions stated that Israel conveyed its views to senior US officials in meetings held in Washington in February and subsequently in Israel with US Congress representatives. Distribution of a ‘White Paper’

Two sources indicated that the main points were also distributed to some senior US officials in an Israeli ‘White Paper.’ All sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to diplomatic sensitivities. Aron Lund from Century International stated that Israel’s biggest fear is Turkey safeguarding the new order in Syria, turning it into a stronghold for Hamas and other militants. Lund expressed optimism about Israel’s ability to sway US thinking, describing the new administration as fervently pro-Israel. He mentioned, “Syria is not even on Trump’s radar right now. It is a low priority and a policy vacuum that needs to be filled.” ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE SEEKING TURKISH-SPEAKING PERSONNEL

Recently, the Israeli media announced that Shin Bet, Israel’s internal intelligence agency, had published an advertisement to recruit Turkish-speaking individuals. An article on the Jfeed news site stated, “Until a few months ago, Turkey, due to the large geographical distance between the two countries, was not considered a significant security threat to Israel. However, the takeover of Syria by Turkey-backed forces changed this equation, and now an increasing number of people are exploring how Turkey can directly threaten Israel.”