Israel says it struck to prevent Turkey from establishing a military foothold that could restrict its freedom of action. But the attack risks pushing Damascus closer to Ankara, while officials in Washington, Syria and Turkey suspect Israeli election politics played a role

The collapse of democratic Israel and the rise of a brutal Israel arouse not only anxiety, anger and disappointment, but also a measure of unconscious gratification

Turkey condemned Israel's strike on a Syrian air base and vowed continued military support for Damascus, as Israeli officials warned Ankara against establishing a presence in the country and the U.S. sought to avert a direct confrontation