Israel's leaders are increasingly worried about Syria.
They fear Syria's advanced weapons, possibly including chemical ones, will fall into the hands of Hezbollah or Syrian opposition fighters.
For Israelis, Syria has never been an ally.
The government by President Bashar al-Assad supported Palestinians, had close ties with Iran and Hezbollah, and demanded an end to Israel's occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights.
Al Jazeera's Simon McGregor Wood reports from Golan Heights.
