If we closed our eyes to the whole area of the world and reopened them in 5 years, they would all be speaking Hebrew.
Syria has to be insane to allow things like this to go on. Didn't Israel just buzz the palace a week or two ago, to threaten the Hamas officials who are "displaced" there?
What the heck are they thinking?
Nothing like the sound of afterburners to make Hamas mess their pants.
There's no rule that says terrorists must be smart. The Hezzies are about to have their necks stepped on - unless they do what Israel wants.
Oh really!
They are thinking that Israel will rattle but won't bite.
And if Israel starts biting, the world will quickly muzzle her, like many times before.
.....Syria has to be insane to allow things like this to go on.......
My view is that Syria is but a toothless aging lion. Syria has no part in the fray.
The battle is between Israel and the Iranian surrogates who have no allegiance to Syria.
THe fact that israel has not blown syria and lebanon off the freaking face of the globe is to all of israels credit. God knows those countries deserve it from all the death and destruction they have wrought on israel. So I am not sure what I am reading into your post but if you think those terrorist sponsored countries deserve a once of sovernty you are gravely mistaken.
I think you need to look at it through Bashir Assad's eyes.
1. His rule has never been firm, and he's widely seen as weak, even in his own country. IIRC, the Army has never thought much of him, and he may be given to chest-thumping as a way to make himself look stronger. Perhaps you recall the story a few years ago, where Assad was said to have personally jumped into a jeep and thwarted a coup attempt by some Army officers.
2. The salamikazes are no doubt also a threat to his rule, and his best chance of holding them off is to poke at the Israelis.
3. Iran clearly has a number of reasons to push for this. For one thing, it keeps both our and Israel's eyes off what they're doing.
4. Syria probably controls Saddam's WMDs. They may feel the need to use them before they lose them. And they may also think that they can employ them quickly and effectively enough to neutralize Israel fairly quickly -- could they effectively take out Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa?
Put these (and more) together, and I think you begin to see the outlines of what they're thinking. History is full of this sort of thing.