Fear and disturbance in Tel Aviv: Is Israel losing the war in Syria?

In fact, there was this euphoric movement in Israel, when the Trump administration attacked Syria. But the limited nature of the struggle made it clear that the US had  no plans for a massive military mobilization similar to that of Iraq in  2003. The initial excitement was eventually replaced by cynicism, as  expressed by this title in the Monitor: "Netanyahu warns Trump about  Syria."

Israel, which has played a very risky role in the Syrian war since  2011, is becoming furious that the future of the conflict does not  unfold as it wishes.

The six-year-long war in Syria is moving to a new level, perhaps the last. The Syrian regime is consolidating control over most population centers, while ISIS rapidly loses ground - and elsewhere.

The areas evacuated by the militant group, in rapid disintegration, are about to be taken. There are many strongly contested regions targeted by the Bashar  al-Assad government in Damascus and its allies, on the one hand, and on  the other, the various anti-Assad opposition groups and their  supporters.

With the ISIS totally defeated in Iraq - at a cost of 40,000 lives, in Mosel alone - war parties are moving west. Shiite militias, encouraged by victory in Iraq, have been being pushed  west to the Iraq-Syrian border, converging with forces loyal to the  Syrian government on the other side.

At the same time, the first steps towards a permanent ceasefire are  being given and have been fruitful compared to many failed attempts in  the past.

Following  a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Russia, reached on  July 7 at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, three provinces in  southwestern Syria - bordering Jordan and Territories of the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel - are now relatively calm. The understanding seems to extend throughout the territory.

The Israeli government made it clear to the US that it was displeased  with the agreement, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has  been making great efforts to boycott the ceasefire.

Netanyahu's biggest fears are perhaps coming to fruition: a solution  for Syria that will allow a permanent presence of Iran and Hezbollah in  the country.

In the early stages of the war, such a possibility seemed remote; But the constant changes in the results of the brutal fighting in Syria made the discussion completely irrelevant.

But things have now changed.

Despite statements to the contrary, Israel has always been involved in the Syrian conflict. Israel repeated statements that it "maintains a policy of  nonintervention in the civil war in Syria" and only the average lunatics  of the US system echoed these positions.

Not only was Israel involved in the war, but it did not participate in  humanitarian efforts, nor did it extend a helping hand to the Syrian  refugees.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians died in this war without quarter; Many towns and villages were totally destroyed and millions of Syrians became refugees.

While  fragile and poor Lebanon has housed more than a million Syrians, every  country in the region and many nations around the world have also  received Syrian refugees. Except Israel.

Even a symbolic proposal by the government to house 100 Syrian orphans was finally rejected.

However, the nature of Israel's involvement in Syria is beginning to change. The cease-fire, the growth of Russia's involvement and the inconsistent US position have forced Israel to redefine its role.

A  sign of the times was Netanyahu's most frequent visits to Moscow to  persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin of Israel's interests. Moscow presses cautiously, unlike Washington, and does not see Israel's interests as superlative. When Israel struck a Syrian missile using an arrow missile last March,  the Israeli ambassador to Moscow was called in to be rebuked.

Israel's  punishment came only a few days after Netanyahu's visit to Moscow and  to "make clear" to Putin that he wants "to avoid any situation in Syria  that would allow Iran and its allies to have a" military presence in the  country. " Since  the beginning of the conflict, Israel wanted to appear as if it  controlled the situation, at least as regards the conflict in  south-eastern Syria. He bombed targets in Syria when he saw fit, and from time to time he said he had contacts with certain opposition groups.