Screen shot of Free Syrian Army Chief of Staff Salim Idris on Al-Jazeera TV. Photo: MEMRI.

The Free Syrian Army Chief of Staff doesn’t mince words when speaking of Israel.

In a recent interview on Al-Jazeera, Salim Idris said “Israel is an enemy country” and that it is collaborating with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to defeat rebel forces in the country.

Excerpts from the interview are posted below (courtesy The Middle East Media Research Institute):

“As for us being Israeli collaborators – the only Israeli collaborator in the region is the criminal Bashar. The Israeli collaborators are the people who put on the show of the 2006 war – Hizbullah and its leader Hassan Nasrallah. They diverted all their forces to the slaughtering of Syrians. Their scheme is totally clear. They used to hide behind the pretext of resistance and the fight against Israel, but now it has become clear that they are implementing a sectarian, Iranian, Safavid plan in the region.

[…]

If [we] get the necessary weapons and ammunition, we will be capable of toppling the regime in less than 40 days. My brothers, the rebels, know I’m not just bragging.

[…]

Israel is an enemy country. I say this loud and clear. It occupies Syrian lands. The FSA will not change its position regarding that country before [Israel] withdraws from the Syrian lands, and recognizes the legitimate rights of the Arab Palestinian people. [Then] we will abide by the decision of the Arab people of Syria.”

Watch a video of the interview here.