Hadi al-Bahra, President of the Syrian Coalition, condemns the Israeli air raids on targets inside Syria, describing the raids as a “blatant aggression which the Assad regime bears full responsibility.” Bahra stresses that Assad’s primary concern is not defending Syria’s sovereignty or its air space, but holding to power for which he massacred more than 200,000 Syrians over the past four years. He also calls upon the Syrian people “to hold fast to the principles of the Syrian Revolution and its goals,” denouncing the failure of the international community to put an end to Assad’s industrial crimes which have been exploited by the Israel and terrorist organizations to serve their own ends.” Nasr al-Hariri, Secretary General of the Syrian Coalition, said that the “we are not surprised by the unification of efforts between the Assad regime and the Israel against the remarkable progress made by rebels in the Golan Heights, Quneitra and Dara’a provinces. Israel’s targeting of the positions in Quneitra province where rebels are advancing on regime positions reveals the truth about the close relationship between the Assad regime and Israel that the Assad regime has long sought to conceal under the disguise of resistance.” Hariri points out that the Israel’s targeting of military positions in the Golan Heights and Quneitra was prompted by Israel’s fears of those positions falling to rebels. These positions have never posed the slightest threat to Israel. On the contrary, they have always worked as military guard to secure the borders with the Israel.” Hariri does not rule out that the Israeli targeting of positions in the Golan Heights comes as a response to the request made by the Assad regime’s Minister of Foreign Affairs to international community that any aggression on Syria must be carried out in coordination with the Assad regime. The Assad regime has repeatedly threatened that it would set the region ablaze through terrorist groups that Assad allowed them to grow and fester in the region. Therefore, to get out of the impasse experienced by the region the international community must empower the Free Syrian Army which has proved itself as a bulwark against terrorism and the only force that can restore security and stability to the region.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)