After months of sectarian violence, kidnappings and cross-border clashes, the last thing Syria’s fledgling government needs is a neighbor stoking tensions.
But that is what Israel is doing, as it erects military bases in the countries’ demilitarized “buffer zone,” strikes military sites and kills security officials — all part of a well-worn strategy of backing minority groups against Sunni majorities in the Arab world. But by pursuing it in Syria, Israel is risking strategic blowback.
Along with neighboring Lebanon, Syria has the most diverse population in the Middle East. While Sunni Arabs comprise 65% of the population, their majority is far smaller than in, say, Egypt (around 90%). The remaining 35% of Syria’s population includes members of heretical Islamic offshoots, along with Sunni Kurds and Christians.
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