Capping off a few days of harsh verbal exchanges with Syria, the Israeli foreign minister let fly with a big one:

Speaking at an event at Bar-Ilan University, Lieberman warned Assad that in an event of war with Israel, “not only will you lose the war, you and your family will no longer be in power.”

I’m not sure whether this idea is good or bad. If Israel wants to simply deter Syria and create pressure against adventurism from Hezbollah, it is probably a good idea. But if Israel indeed wishes to rid the region of Bashar and his terrorist regime, Lieberman probably shouldn’t have said anything, because Bashar seems convinced that the IDF will not hold him accountable in another war with Hezbollah. Now he doesn’t have that kind of confidence.

My guess is that Lieberman tipped his hand to the fact that the Israelis have made a strategic decision that another 2006-style conflagration will not leave Damascus, or the Assad regime, untouched. Making this fact known to the Syrians — despite the appearance of belligerence — will actually make another round of war less likely.