(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Senior Israeli officials told Army Radio that al-Qaida control of Syria “would be preferable to a victory by Assad over the rebels.”

This view is based on the assessment that a victorious President Bashar al-Assad would be much more dependent on Iran than in the past. In such a scenario, Iran would have greater ability to threaten Israel than it does today. Also, the ties between Iran, Syria and Hezbollah would become even tighter, increasing the dangers facing Israel.

Israeli officials said one country in the world was openly seeking the destruction of Israel—Iran.

“Assad is now Iran,” the officials said, making any other group preferable to govern Syria, even al-Qaida or other radical Islamists.

“Any of these groups would be less problematic for Israel than an Assad regime that is a puppet of Iran,” Army Radio quoted the officials as saying.