Katz: Israel faces growing threat from Syria despite rebel leaders seeking to present semblance of moderation

Defense Minister Israel Katz says that the defense budget must be increased “in the face of growing threats,” citing the recent developments in Syria with the ousting of president Bashar al-Assad by Islamist forces.

“Israel must be able to defend itself, on its own, against any threat,” Katz tells the Nagel Committee, which examines defense spending and the design of military forces for the future, according to a ministry statement.

“The immediate risks to the country have not disappeared and the recent developments in Syria are increasing the intensity of the threat, despite the the rebel leaders seeking to present a semblance of moderation,” Katz says.

The Nagel Committee is tasked with determining the directions of Israel’s military force design for the next decade, the budgetary implications, and the economic impact.

Katz said Friday that he had ordered the military to prepare to maintain its presence on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon during the coming winter months as Israel aims to prevent the border region from falling into the wrong hands.

Top diplomats of Turkey and the United States have met to discuss their joint effort to prevent Islamic State from resurging after Assad’s downfall, amid international efforts to gauge Syria’s new leadership from Islamist Hayat Tahrir a-Sham, which originated in al-Qaeda but has since apparently broken with the jihadi terror group.