As US Congress begins its debate about whether to authorize force in Syria, there will no doubt be a temptation to draw on arguments that a failure to send a forceful message to Bashar al-Assad may only embolden Iran, undermining US President Barack Obama’s assurance to Israel that the United States “has its back” when it comes to preventing a nuclear-armed Iran.

With Israelis lining up for gas masks and some Iranian lawmakers threatening retaliation against Israel in response to US-led strikes on Syria, concerns about Israeli security and the “message” US action (or inaction) will send to Iran will likely be a key feature in congressional deliberations.

Such considerations will no doubt draw on Israeli leaders’ own reactions to the Syria crisis, where there may be as much concern with Iran as with the Syrian gas attacks. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put it in a tweet days after the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack, “What is happening in Syria, simply demonstrates what will happen if Iran gets even deadlier weapons.” In following days, Israeli Intelligence and Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz argued it is “crystal clear” that Assad used chemical weapons and “what happened in Syria should remind us of how dangerous it is if Iran is able to complete its military nuclear project and produce atomic bombs.”

Israeli officials have since shown more restraint in their public statements, seeking to maintain neutrality and focusing on preparation for possible attacks. But the temptation to draw on arguments about the precedent this crisis may establish vis-a-vis Iran is likely to surface again. This would not be a helpful approach for those interested in seeing Obama build a broader regional and international coalition against Assad in the wake of the British vote against using force. And it certainly will not help address Israel’s own top national security priority: stopping the Iranian nuclear program.