PM sends clear warning to Syria in meeting with EU ambassadors

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Jerusalem on Tuesday with ambassadors from the European Union. He used the meeting as an opportunity to send a warning to Syria: „Israel will do whatever it takes to prevent Syria’s chemical weapons from falling into the hands of terrorist organizations. If we are concerned that this is happening — we will consider military action.”

Netanyahu added, „Without Iranian interference, [Syrian President Bashar al-] Assad wouldn’t have survived. Hezbollah fighters are actively participating in the slaughter of the Syrian people.”

Similar sentiments were heard on Monday from U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice during a U.N. Security Council meeting. According to Rice, Hezbollah has intensified its support for the Syrian regime and become part of Assad’s „killing machine.”

„Hezbollah leaders continue to plot with Iran new measures to prop up a murderous and desperate dictator,” Rice said during the meeting.

Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N. Ron Prosor said: „Today on the streets of Homs, Hama, and Damascus, we see that Hezbollah’s army is far more preoccupied with butchering their Arab brothers and sisters in Syria.”

Prosor dubbed the alliance between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Assad and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah a „trio of terror.”

Also on Tuesday, Syria’s foreign ministry released a statement that „President Assad would be prepared to consider the proposal put forth by the U.N.’s and Arab League’s special envoy to Syria regarding a cease fire.” However, the statement emphasized that the regime would not enter into a dialogue with terrorists.

Meanwhile, Lebanese media outlets reported Tuesday that over the past few days the Syrian military had conducted test launches of the Scud B missile, which has a range of 300 kilometers (186 miles). Recent news reports out of Germany have also cited Syrian military test launches of mid-range missiles capable of carrying chemical warheads.

During his meeting with the EU ambassadors, Netanyahu also touched on Egypt and the Palestinian situation. On the subject of Egypt’s request to alter aspects of the peace treaty with Israel, Netanyahu said such a move would be cause for cancelling the entire agreement altogether.

„Changing [the peace treaty] could also hurt the chances of reaching other peace agreements in the region,” said Netanyahu.

On the matter of negotiations with the Palestinians, Netanyahu said Israel has tried multiple times to renew talks, but that the Palestinians had refused the offers. Netanyahu also called on EU countries to oppose the Palestinian Authority initiative to become a non-member observer state at the U.N.

Also at the U.N., Prosor submitted a letter of complaint to the Security Council and to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in which he warned that the humanitarian aid flotilla expected to embark for Gaza in a week „could ignite the region.”