Harassing Israel at the border and using chemical weapons during Arab Spring, Syrian army regaining strength with Iran and Russia’s help; once-powerful force plans to call up reservists for ‘only up to two years’

Historically considered a relentless enemy of Israel, the Syrian army’s status declined due to the country’s civil war. Materially and publicly, the army is no longer perceived as a national army, but as “Assad’s army.” Despite this, it is rearming and attempting to operate with the resources it has. The Syrian army, initially formed from the French Army of the Levant in Lebanon and Syria, played an integral role in the combined Arab assault on the newly established State of Israel in 1948. “We couldn’t push it out of all the territory it occupied in Israel, and since has been a pesky and provocative enemy from the Golan Heights,” said Prof. Eyal Zisser, a modern Lebanese and Syrian history expert and vice-rector at Tel Aviv University.

Like many armies in the region, Syria’s military attempted coups, and in February 1966, a group of young officers from the leftist faction of the ruling Ba’ath party seized power. According to Prof. Zisser, this faction did not receive substantial public support and faced bitter internal conflicts, prompting them to unite the country with a familiar ideology – uniting everyone against Israel. For this reason, the Syrians worked to divert the Jordan River’s water sources, initiated conflicts in demilitarized zones and sponsored Fatah terrorist attacks, which they helped establish in Damascus as early as 1965.

Despite their bold declarations and aggressive policies, Prof. Zisser explains that in the early days of the 1967 Six-Day War, the Syrians tried to maintain a low profile. “Their military actions were likely intended to create an alibi for themselves in response to Egyptian pressure to uphold their part of the defense agreement.”

The defeat in the Six-Day War profoundly affected Hafez al-Assad, then a young defense minister. Three years later, he seized power in a military coup and focused on rebuilding the nation’s military might. “These years saw a very significant increase in the power and strength of the Syrian army. Beyond the war with Israel, the army was always part of the defense of the regime, and its mission was a combination of both,” explained Prof. Zisser. In the years following the Six-Day War, the Syrian army led numerous incidents, sometimes directly and sometimes simply by allowing Palestinian terrorist organizations to operate from Syrian territory. The peak was the “Three-Day War” in 1970, which began with a Syrian bombardment along the border, during which they attempted to attack IDF infantry positions. In response, the IDF launched an operation that destroyed five Syrian frontline positions and struck military camps deep within the country.

At the beginning of 1973, there was relative calm on the front, but then the Yom Kippur War erupted. According to Assad, the war aimed to reclaim territories occupied by Israel in the Six-Day War. “They sought revenge in 1973. Although they were eventually repelled, they initially had significant successes – capturing Mount Hermon and taking control of parts of the Golan Heights,” said Prof. Zisser.

The Lebanese quagmire

In the wake of the Lebanese Civil War in the 1970s, Syria gradually deployed military forces into Lebanon. Initially, these were Palestinian battalions, but later Syrian commando battalions disguised as terrorists and PLO members were introduced. Unable to restore peace through diplomatic pressure and limited military involvement, the Syrian army eventually launched a massive offensive.

Over the years, there have been numerous clashes between IDF forces targeting terrorists in refugee camps and the Syrian forces defending them. A study by the IDF’s History Department highlights that the introduction of advanced Syrian missiles into Lebanon was a turning point in Israel’s attitude toward Syrian presence in the country. From that point on, the primary reason for IDF operations in Lebanon shifted from defending Christian forces to ensuring the IDF’s operational freedom in Lebanon.

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