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Strategic Assessment

Home Strategic Assessment Israel’s Imagined Role in the Syrian Civil War

Israel’s Imagined Role in the Syrian Civil War

Research Forum | July 2016
Ofir Winter

Despite its policy of non-intervention in the Syrian civil war, Israel, in contradictory and competing conspiracy theories rampant in Syrian political discourse, is presented as commanding a central role in the outbreak of the crisis, the course of its events, and its prolonged duration. This essay presents the popular conspiracy theories about Israel concocted by both the Assad regime and the opposition forces, analyzes their various political functions, and examines their ramifications. The damage they do is twofold: on the one hand, they twist the Syrians’ perception of reality and impair their practical ability to cope with the crisis in their country; on the other hand, they make it difficult for Israel to take advantage of opportunities to strengthen ties with Syrian actors with whom Israel has common interests. The authors – a Syrian and an Israeli – propose some steps to help Syrians and Israelis challenge the conspiracy-based mindset and replace it with a new balanced and constructive perception of reality based on knowledge, dialogue, and encounter.


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  • Research

    • Topics
      • Israel and the Global Powers
      • Israel-United States Relations
      • Glazer Israel-China Policy Center
      • Russia
      • Europe
      • Iran and the Shi'ite Axis
      • Iran
      • Lebanon and Hezbollah
      • Syria
      • Yemen and the Houthi Movement
      • Iraq and the Iraqi Shiite Militias
      • Conflict to Agreements
      • Israeli-Palestinian Relations
      • Hamas and the Gaza Strip
      • Peace Agreements and Normalization in the Middle East
      • Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States
      • Turkey
      • Egypt
      • Jordan
      • Israel’s National Security Policy
      • Military and Strategic Affairs
      • Societal Resilience and the Israeli Society
      • Jewish-Arab Relations in Israel
      • Climate, Infrastructure and Energy
      • Terrorism and Low Intensity Conflict
      • Cross-Arena Research
      • Data Analytics Center
      • Law and National Security
      • Advanced Technologies and National Security
      • Cognitive Warfare
      • Economics and National Secutiry
    • Projects
      • Preventing the Slide into a One-State Reality
      • Contemporary Antisemitism in the United States
      • Perceptions about Jews and Israel in the Arab-Muslim World and Their Impact on the West
  • Publications

    • All Publications
    • INSS Insight
    • Policy Papers
    • Special Publication
    • Strategic Assessment
    • Technology Platform
    • Memoranda
    • Database
    • Posts
    • Books
    • Archive
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    • Research Disciplines
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