The new Syrian leadership's head, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, has stated that Syria poses no threat to any nation in the world and is willing to engage in diplomatic ways of dealing with Israel. However, Israel and the West remain skeptical of these claims and believe that further testing and waiting is necessary. Al-Julani's words also show his understanding of the strain between Syria and Israel, and he emphasized the need to end the link between Syria and Iran. Israel has responded by stepping up its strikes on Syrian military facilities and spreading its forces in the buffer zone on the Syrian border. Israel fears Turkey's ties to the new Syrian system and the possibility of Turkey's Islamists ruling after Recep Tayyip Erdogan's time ends.