Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk a-Shara says that his country might attack Jewish communities in the Golan if Israel attacks Syria again. Though Syria has long trained Palestinian terrorists, the first time in some 30 years that Israel attacked a Syrian target was three weeks ago, following a mass terror attack in Haifa in which 21 people were killed.
The target attacked by Israel was a terrorist training camp. "[I]f we are attacked again," said the Syrian dictatorship's Foreign Minister, "our people will not stand for it and we have to carry out the will of the people."
"We have many cards that we have not played," A-Shara continued. "Don't forget there are many Israeli settlements in the Golan. I am not exaggerating but I am describing things as they might happen."
After Syria and Egypt began threatening war - both declaratively and actively - against Israel in 1967, Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the Six Day War. This ended the Syrians' use of the area to shell and fire at Jewish towns in the Galilee. More than 17,000 Jews now live on the Golan and the slopes of Mount Hermon.
Syria has been on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism since the list's inception in 1979, and Washington has threatened to take diplomatic and financial action against Syria for its terrorist-supporting activities. The Assad government has in fact closed down offices of Islamic Jihad, Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, but the Telegraph quoted a Western diplomat as saying, "Closing an office does not mean stopping the activities of an organization. They can simply move elsewhere - and they have mobile phones."
Israeli-Arab MK Azmi Bishara, who was indicted but not convicted last year after he expressed "praise and encouragement" for Hizbullah during meetings in Syria, met on Friday with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad - but this time in Qatar. Likud MK Gideon Saar said that Bishara's meeting with "the head of a terrorist-supporting enemy state" is more proof of Bishara's efforts to "undermine" Israel.
The target attacked by Israel was a terrorist training camp. "[I]f we are attacked again," said the Syrian dictatorship's Foreign Minister, "our people will not stand for it and we have to carry out the will of the people."
"We have many cards that we have not played," A-Shara continued. "Don't forget there are many Israeli settlements in the Golan. I am not exaggerating but I am describing things as they might happen."
After Syria and Egypt began threatening war - both declaratively and actively - against Israel in 1967, Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the Six Day War. This ended the Syrians' use of the area to shell and fire at Jewish towns in the Galilee. More than 17,000 Jews now live on the Golan and the slopes of Mount Hermon.
Syria has been on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism since the list's inception in 1979, and Washington has threatened to take diplomatic and financial action against Syria for its terrorist-supporting activities. The Assad government has in fact closed down offices of Islamic Jihad, Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, but the Telegraph quoted a Western diplomat as saying, "Closing an office does not mean stopping the activities of an organization. They can simply move elsewhere - and they have mobile phones."
Israeli-Arab MK Azmi Bishara, who was indicted but not convicted last year after he expressed "praise and encouragement" for Hizbullah during meetings in Syria, met on Friday with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad - but this time in Qatar. Likud MK Gideon Saar said that Bishara's meeting with "the head of a terrorist-supporting enemy state" is more proof of Bishara's efforts to "undermine" Israel.