Tensions between Israel and Syria have escalated dramatically after Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Amichai Chikli, declared war “inevitable” in response to inflammatory footage from a Syrian military parade. The incident occurred during Damascus’ commemoration of the first anniversary of Bashar al-Assad’s fall, where Syrian troops were filmed chanting: “Gaza, Gaza, Gaza, our slogan, night and day, bombing and ruin. We are coming for you, our enemy, coming, coming for you, even if you were a mountain of fire.”
Chikli, sharing the video originally posted by far-right aggregator Visegrad24, accused Syria of fostering “jihadist terror” and warned that “a full-blown Islamic jihadist caliphate now sits on Israel’s northern border.” The minister emphasized that Israel would not repeat the lessons of October 7th, stating: “Do not let the beast become an untouchable monster.”
Israeli security officials confirmed that defense establishments have convened emergency meetings to assess the footage, with one anonymous official telling Army Radio: “We deal with the Syrian regime with a doctrine of complete suspicion. We monitor it with mistrust. Its nature is extreme and jihadist, and we cannot afford to misread it.”
The historical context reveals deepening complexities: Israel has maintained occupation of Syria’s Golan Heights since 1967 and expanded its territorial control following Assad’s downfall. In December 2024, Israel seized the entire UN-patrolled buffer zone that previously separated forces in the region.
Syrian Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa countered these developments at a Doha conference, accusing Israel of “exporting crises” to divert attention from Gaza operations. Sharaa detailed extensive Israeli military actions, citing “more than 1,000 air strikes and 400 incursions into Syrian territory” since December 2024, including a recent attack on Beit Jinn that killed at least 13 people.
The international dimension intensified as U.S. President Donald Trump cautioned Israel against interfering with Syria’s “evolution,” expressing satisfaction with Syria’s progress and emphasizing the importance of maintaining “strong and true dialogue” between the nations.