OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, 9 October 2003 — Syria’s ambassador to Spain said in Madrid yesterday Damascus would respond militarily against Israel if the Jewish state carried out new attacks on Syrian territory.
A senior Israeli security source swiftly dismissed the threat, saying Israel did not want to escalate tensions and believed Syria did not want to start a war. The source said the envoy’s statement was mainly intended to impress the Arab world.
“If Israel attacks Syria one, two and three times, of course the people of Syria and the government of Syria and the army will react to defend ourselves,” Syrian Ambassador Mohsen Bilal said.
Asked if that meant responding militarily, he said: “By all means. If Israel continues to attack us and continues its aggression of course we shall react to the attacks in spite of the fact that we are fighting for peace and wish to reopen the (1991) Madrid (peace) conference.”
Israel cleared the way for a call-up of army reservists over fears of a new wave of Palestinian suicide bombings, but said it was not trying to stoke tension in the Middle East.
In an apparent effort to ease a war of words with Syria over an Israeli air raid near Damascus, Israel did not formally respond to the threat by Syria’s ambassador.
Syria also sought to defuse tension, saying through an official source that the envoy’s comments represented his “personal understanding of the official position”.
Tensions have been simmering since the Israeli air strike on what it said was a training camp for Palestinian militants near Damascus on Sunday, one day after a Palestinian suicide bombing which killed 19 people in the Israeli city of Haifa.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Cabinet announced no major decisions after its first meeting since the suicide bombing.
But a senior government source said Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz had been authorized to call up reservists if he deems it necessary and to reinforce a closure on Palestinian areas before the weeklong Jewish Sukkoth holiday starts tomorrow.
“In light of the holiday and dozens of terror alerts, the defense minister is authorized to order a limited call-up,” the source said but gave no details.
The military sources said the army would tighten closures of Palestinian cities, Palestinians would be barred from entering Israel, military training courses would be canceled and security tightened between Israel and Palestinian areas.
The Gaza Strip is already divided by checkpoints into four sections and restrictions are tight in the West Bank. Israel says such steps are needed for security reasons but Palestinians and human rights groups call them collective punishment.
Meanwhile, the US congressional committee on foreign relations voted yesterday in favor of imposing sanctions on Syria after the Bush administration dropped its opposition to a bill that requires the country to end its support of terrorism or face penalties.
The decision by President George W. Bush to end his longstanding opposition to the bill signals a shift in the US approach toward Syria, which US officials believe has been slow at heeding demands to stop supporting Palestinian militants.
The Bush administration had opposed the Syria Accountability Act for two years over concerns it would deter Syria from cooperating in the war on terrorism.
— Additional input from agencies.
