IDF Soldiers along Israel-Syria border. Photo: wiki commons.

Israel Hayom – IDF Military Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi on Thursday presented a grim picture of Israel’s strategic surroundings, saying that four of the Middle East’s superpowers — Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt — were all led by religious leadership whose fundamental view of Israel is one of a “foreign, unwelcome element” and who increasingly see the world through religious lenses.

The practical significance of this in the coming years will be an increasing difficulty in creating agreements and normalizing ties between Israel and its neighbors, Kochavi said. “The Middle East looks completely different. Bottom line: Syria is crumbling, so are regional borders, infrastructure, and government institutions.”

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