— Netanyahu: "I have decided to establish a security belt in Syria to confront the possibility of a jihadi invasion from Syrian territory."
"Turkey is present in northern Syria, and I do not want it to advance southward." "I told the Syrian government: 'Do not advance south, and do not allow the Turks to advance south.'" "There was a status quo, but they breached it or were planning to breach it." "We informed Turkey that we will not tolerate Turkish military fortification at an airport south of the area where it is currently present." "We conveyed the message through the Americans, through other channels, and directly to Syria." "It seems the message was not understood, so we were forced to deliver it through what we call 'kinetic means.'" "I am not seeking a conflict, but one cannot rely solely on the intentions of the enemy." "When you are weak, they attack you; when you are strong, they respect you, and they make peace with the strong."@TPOnow
