Israel Says It Can 'Manage' Chaos in Syria

Barbara Slavin

Jun 14, 2013

An Israeli Air Force F-15I jet is seen in the background as Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon (3rd R) speaks to reporters while standing next to Israel's armed forces chief Major-General Benny Gantz (R) and commander of Israel's Air Force Major-General Amir Eshel (4th R) during a presentation at Hatzerim air base in southern Israel April 30, 2013. Israel on Tuesday launched its first targeted attack on a militant in Gaza since a war in November, killing a Palestinian jihadist in an air strike that put f — An Israeli Air Force F-15 jet is seen in the background as Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon (3rd R) speaks to reporters while standing next to Israel's armed forces chief Major-General Benny Gantz (R) and commander of Israel's Air Force Major-General Amir Eshel (4th R) during a presentation at Hatzerim air base in southern Israel April 30, 2013. — REUTERS/Baz Ratner

Israel is relatively blasé about the expanding civil war in Syria and sees some benefit in the fact that some of its fiercest adversaries are killing each other and not focusing on Israel, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe "Bogie" Ya'alon said Friday.

The long-time Israeli strategist and former military intelligence chief, speaking a day after the Barack Obama administration revealed that it would be sending weapons directly to the Syrian opposition, said the worst outcome in Syria would be a “chaotic situation, but we can manage it.”