Syria’s Civil War Puts Israel in a Bind: ‘Devil We Know’ or Islamist Rebels

TEL AVIV—The surprising advance by opposition forces in Syria’s civil war poses a conundrum for Israel and the West: Victory by either side presents risks.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is allied with Israel’s enemy, Iran. The resurgence of the war threatens to invigorate that relationship, undermining Israel’s effort to weaken Iran’s web of allied countries and militias throughout the region.