Defense Minister: Assad ‘100%’ behind chemical weapons attack

Israel’s Defense Minister called for international intervention in Syria as a result of a chemical weapons attack, which he blamed on the Syrian president. 

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman told Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth he was certain Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was behind the chemical weapons attack in Syria’s Idlib province on Tuesday, killing dozens.

“The murderous chemical weapons attacks on citizens in Idlib province in Syria and on a local hospital were carried out on the direct order and planned by the Syrian president, Bashar Assad, using Syrian planes,” said Liberman as translated by Ynet. “I say this with 100 percent certainty.”

“The cruelest thing is that those who were evacuated from the area of the bombing to the hospital were attacked a second time with chemical weapons as Syrian army planes bombed the hospital,” he added.

Like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon, Liberman called for the international community to intervenve in Syria.

“The world needs to take responsibility and, instead of just talking, needs to do something,” Liberman argued, adding “the reaction of the international community is zero. It simply does not exist.”

The UN Security Council postponed a resolution on Tuesday’s chemical weapons attack, due to lack of consensus between its permanent members.

Liberman condemned the failure of the UN Security Council to respond and said this demonstrates the need for Israel’s self-reliance on security matters.

“It brings me back to the conclusion that the state of Israel must rely only on itself,” Liberman said.

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News

LibermanSyriaUnited Nations Security Council