Silvan Shalom, Israel’s vice premier, said that if it appeared that the Syrian government was losing control of its chemical weapons stockpile in its struggle against rebels fighting against the government of Bashar al-Assad that Israel would launch military strikes on those bases.

Silvan Shalom was commenting on a report that leaked to the press last week that said Benjamin Netanyahu was convening a meeting of his security chiefs to discuss the issue and Israel’s response.

The fear is that if chemical weapons fell into the hands of Hezbollah, it would give that group a deadly tool in its arsenal to use against Israel. Recently re-elected, Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to form a government with as broad a mandate as possible to confront what he calls the substantial security threats emerging against Israel from all sides.

In the east, north and south, everything is in ferment and we must be prepared, strong and determined in the face of all possible developments.

Syria is believed to be in possession of a massive chemical weapons stockpile, built as a counter to Israel’s nuclear weapons.

[Reuters]