Middle East expert Dr. David Bukay told Arutz Sheva that Israel should have supported Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in the Syrian civil war and not the rebel Free Syrian Army. Israel established a field hospital for millions of shekels and gained nothing from it. The Iranian presence in Syria is due to Israel's support of rebel forces, since without that support Assad would not have required Iranian support to crush the rebels.

Bukay says that Israel should have no problem with the Syrian-Iranian-Turkish alliance and can support Assad as his continued rule will bring more stability whereas the Jihadist rebels would have been far more dangerous to Israel.