Trump Loses Netanyahu Support for Syria Policy

US President Donald Trump will have to pursue his Syrian policies without the support of his heretofore most vociferous ally in the region, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. At issue is the cease-fire deal brokered jointly by the United States and Russia for southwestern Syria which, according to Jerusalem, will backfire by creating a strong foothold in the area for Iran, including air and naval bases along with a significant permanent contingent of troops. The agreement was made possible after Trump and Putin met on the sidelines of the G20 summit and agreed to a plan that created “de-escalation zones” – one in the area of Quneitra on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights and one along the Syrian-Jordanian border. In calling the agreement “a very bad one,” Prime Minister Netanyahu noted that it addressed none of his concerns about Iran, its proxy Hizbullah or other armed Shi’ite groups fighting in Syria.