Israel urges tougher action against Syria

In the wake of the Houla massacre in Syria which saw more than 100 civilians killed Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has called for tougher actions against the regime of President Bashar Assad, Reuters reports. "These events in Syria compel the world to take action, not just talk, but action. These are crimes against humanity and the international community must not stand on the sidelines," Barak said in a speech at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. Meanwhile Israel has also voiced concern about the possible outcome of the Assad government’s collapse.Major-General Yair Golan said that Israeli military was making preparations along its border with Syria in case the regime falls, an event which could provide Islamist militants with a "warehouse of weapons" and a new operating base. "Syria is in civil war, which will lead to a failed state, and terrorism will blossom in it," he told a conference at Bar Ilan University. "Syria has a big arsenal."