Post-Assad strategic window is closing

The collapse of Bashar Assad's regime in late 2024 presented Israel with a significant strategic opportunity in Syria, allowing the IDF to secure key positions and push back threats from the Golan Heights. However, this military success is not a long-term strategy, as the strategic window is closing, and Turkey is poised to dominate Syria's future if Israel, the U.S., and Arab partners do not act. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is consolidating power, leading to increased condemnation of Israel's presence and demands for withdrawal. The article emphasizes the urgency for Israel to pursue a phased security arrangement with Syria, supported by the United States, Jordan, and pragmatic Arab states, to prevent Turkey from becoming the dominant regional power and to counter the resurgence of radical Islamist movements. "Every opportunity that Israel fails to seize through political and security initiatives will eventually be filled by someone else."