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Israel chooses sides in Syria

Israel warned that it would not tolerate attacks on the Syrian Druze town of Hader in the Golan Heights.
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The momentous announcement came on Nov. 3. For the first time, Israel warned publicly that it would intervene militarily in the war in Syria. "The army is prepared and ready to help the residents of the village [of Hader]," announced the spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). "It will prevent the occupation of the village or any attempts to harm it, out of a commitment to its Druze population."

Hader is a Druze village on the eastern slopes of Mount Hermon, about 2 miles inside Syria, in Quneitra province. The Israeli announcement instilled a sense of calm and restored relative quiet in the Golan Heights. At the same time, however, it introduced an entirely new situation to the region. Military action by Israel in Syria is now a possibility.

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