Israel's military commanders meet to discuss threat of Syria collapse

Israeli soldiers from the Golani infantry brigade take part in a training exercise in the Golan Heights. (Abir Sultan/Getty Images)

JERUSALEM — Israel's top military and intelligence commanders convened on Wednesday to discuss contingencies in anticipation of the collapse of the regime of embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
For Israel, the end of the Assad era and the mayhem that Israeli analysts predict will ensue signifies a second volatile border, which, like its frontier with Egypt, after decades of quiet may turn troublesome.
"What I expect to see in Syria is the definition of chaos, like what we saw in Libya, various gangs vying for leadership and no initial central government," said Eyal Zisser, a Tel Aviv University professor of Middle Eastern Studies.
Following two weeks in which several high-ranking Syrian generals defected, the bombing that devastated Syria's elite military cadre is widely being interpreted in Israeli circles as a point of no return for the Assad regime, even if it does not result in its immediate demise.
More from GlobalPost: Complete coverage of the Damascus bombing
Elie Podeh, a professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an expert on Syria, said there was no doubt that the regime would soon fall.
“I think today's attack is very significant and will cause major upheaval for the Syrian government,” he said. “The rebels are talking about the beginning of the end, and this time, it looks like it really is the beginning of the end. We are talking about instability that will get worse."
Speaking with Israel Army Radio, Magali Wahaba, a Druze member of parliament from the Galilee, who is known to closely follow Syria, said "what happened today has removed the last remnant of fear from the rebels."
On Tuesday, Israel's chief of military intelligence, Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, warned a parliamentary committee that elements of global jihadi forces are taking advantage of the power vacuum in Damascus as the Assad regime "disintegrates," and may be moving into Syria with the intention of staging attacks against Israel's northern border on the Golan Heights.
Most analysts believe that the likelihood of war between Israel and Syria remains low. Assad has been forced to relocate soldiers normally stationed on the Israeli border to reinforce his positions in Damascus.
For Israel, other fears now predominate. In addition to the infiltration of extremist elements, Israel's principal concern is about the fate of Syria's store of unconventional weaponry, including long-range missiles and chemical and biological stockpiles.
Read More..................