At this week’s conference for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the recent changes taking place in the Middle East were typically seen through wary eyes, but one ongoing transformation received a heartier embrace: the uprising in Syria. “I admire the courage of the Syrian people and I wish them peace and freedom from the depths of all of our hearts,” said Israeli President Shimon Peres.

Some experts see a certain cynical calculation to Israel’s embrace of the Syria uprising.