Kuala Lampur, Aug. 27 -- Malaysia has every reason to watch Gaza closely. But Kuala Lumpur should not allow the continuing tragedy there to obscure another potentially dangerous development: the growing strategic friction between Israel and Turkey.

Israel's August 18 strikes on Syria's Abu al-Duhur airbase in Idlib were militarily limited but strategically significant.

Eight strikes reportedly hit the runway and storage areas without causing casualties. The facility had been largely inactive for years.

What made the attack important was not simply what Israel bombed, but whom Israel appeared to be addressing.

Israel subsequently argued that Syria had been close to violating a security understanding by permitting Turkish troops to depl...