Israel's expanding military and settler presence in the disputed Golan Heights will in the near term reduce threats from Syria, but over time it will stoke political tensions inside Israel, result in further diplomatic blowback and open the door to a potential proxy conflict with Turkey in Syria. Since the collapse of Bashar al Assad's regime in Syria on Dec. 8, the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, have entered the demilitarized zone along the Syrian-Israel border to seize strategic military positions, including the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, amid concern that the conflict in Syria could spill over into Israel. During a visit to the border on Dec. 17, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israeli forces would remain on the Syrian side ''until another arrangement can be found that guarantees Israel's security.'' In addition, the Israeli Air Force has conducted more than 350 strikes against targets in Syria...
