Israel to Obama: 'World is Watching' Response to Syria's Chemical Weapons

Speaking on April 26, Israel’s deputy foreign minister Zev Elkin urged the Obama administration to consider military action against Syria.

“The Iranians are watching, the whole world is watching too, and we should also see what happens,” Elkin said.

The Obama administration has repeatedly labeled the use of chemical weapons as a “red line” for Syria; now that Israel says that line has been crossed, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel agrees “with some degree of varying confidence,” Israel wants to know what Obama’s going to do.

As Elkin pointed out during his comments, “There is a question here of when you set a red line, do you stand behind it?”

Elkin said that even if up until this time the U.S. has ignored Israel’s opinion on Syria, “now that the Americans’ red line has apparently been crossed, there is a test.”