Middle East Press on: French, Israeli, Far, Right, European, Zionist, Emirates: New Age Islam's Selection, 24 December 2024
By New Age Islam Edit Desk
24 December 2024
Despite Instability, The French Economy Offers Entry Points For Israeli Investors
Far-Right European Parties Preach Solidarity With Israel While Practicing Antisemitism
The 'Pager Plot' Shows That When Israel Is Pushed, It Will Do Whatever It Takes To Win
Israel's Invisible Mental Health Crisis, And How It Affects Israelis With Disabilities
The Zionist Emirates Are Starting To Play In Syria, So Revolutionaries Beware
Gaza: A Story Of Genocide And Steadfastness
A Global Brand: Turkish Defence Industry
Syrian Nuns Hopeful About Revolution: We Feel Safe
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Despite Instability, The French Economy Offers Entry Points For Israeli Investors
By Nir Yeshaya
December 24, 2024
France’s political instability, underscored by the recent fall of the Barnier government, has sent shock waves through its economy. This budgetary deadlock, coupled with rising public debt and underperforming markets, poses critical challenges – and potential opportunities – for Israeli investors seeking to navigate this turbulence.
The political impasse stems from a deeply divided National Assembly, split among the far-left Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP), the far-right Rassemblement National (RN), and a centrist bloc.
Michel Barnier’s proposed budget, designed to cut €40 billion in public spending and raise €20 billion in taxes, was rejected by both extremes. This unprecedented deadlock culminated in the first parliamentary censure of a government since 1962.
Adding to the uncertainty, the Assembly cannot be dissolved before mid-2025, leaving investors facing a prolonged period of instability. Possible scenarios range from President Emmanuel Macron’s resignation to the potential rise of Marine Le Pen, outcomes that could dramatically reshape France’s economic policies and investor confidence.
The economic indicators further underscore the gravity of the situation. France’s public deficit is forecast to reach -6.1% of GDP in 2024, with public debt climbing to 113% of GDP, among the highest in Europe. For context, the EU average for public debt is 84%, and Germany’s stands at just 65%. This stark fiscal imbalance is compounded by public spending that accounts for 57% of GDP – far above the EU average of 49% and Israel’s 41%.
Investor confidence has been shaken. French 10-year bonds now yield 2.9%, higher than Spain’s 2.75%, reflecting a widening spread with German Bunds. Moody’s has already downgraded France’s rating to Aa3 from Aa2. Meanwhile, the equity markets mirror these challenges. The CAC 40 index has underperformed its European peers, losing 4.4% since June 2024, compared to a 10.3% gain in Germany’s DAX.
This trend, epitomized by the slogan “Anything But France,” highlights a widespread aversion to French assets, regardless of fundamentals. For instance, LVMH, which derives only 8% of its revenues from France, has seen its stock drop 16% since June.
Situation presents a paradox for Israeli investors
For Israeli investors, this situation presents a paradox. While the political crisis introduces significant risks, it has also depressed valuations in key sectors such as luxury goods, industrials, and energy transition. These conditions create potential entry points for those with a long-term perspective.
France’s borrowing needs exacerbate the challenges. The country must borrow over €300 billion in 2025, a record in Europe. Rising yields will increase borrowing costs, impacting corporate and sovereign debt markets alike. Despite this, certain sectors show resilience. The luxury goods market, heavily reliant on international sales, could rebound with a recovery in Chinese and US consumer demand.
Likewise, industrials benefiting from Europe’s energy transition plans remain attractive. Moreover, geopolitical shifts could play a stabilizing role. France’s crisis might prompt Germany and the EU to relax fiscal constraints, boosting demand for French exports. A coordinated European bond issuance for defense or technological investments could also inject much-needed stability.
History offers a note of cautious optimism. France has weathered crises before – in 1958, 1968, and 1981 – and emerged stronger. However, today’s interconnected global economy demands quicker and more decisive action. France’s challenge lies in balancing fiscal discipline with social stability while restoring investor trust.
For Israeli investors, this crisis underscores the importance of strategic diversification and a disciplined approach. Focusing on fundamentals, seeking high-quality corporate bonds and equities in resilient sectors, and hedging against European volatility with exposure to US and Swiss markets are prudent strategies. Staying attuned to political developments and their impact on fiscal policies will also be crucial.
At Edmond de Rothschild, there is a belief in the long-term resilience of the French economy. While caution is warranted in the short term, France’s skilled workforce, global companies, and strong institutional framework provide a foundation for recovery. For those prepared to navigate the risks, this crisis may present unique opportunities to leverage undervalued assets and capitalize on the changing dynamics in Europe.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-834607
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Far-Right European Parties Preach Solidarity With Israel While Practicing Antisemitism
By Nicholas Potter
December 24, 2024
Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party is keen to present itself as a dear friend and defender of Israel, and on October 7, 2023, the day of the Hamas-led assault against the Jewish state, it was quick to find comforting words for its supposed ally.
“We condemn the terrorist attacks in the strongest possible terms. Israel and the Jewish people have our full solidarity,” said Petr Bystron, then-foreign policy spokesperson for the party – and a man who Germany’s intelligence services have kept close tabs on due to his connections to right-wing extremists.
In 2020, AfD filed a motion in the Bundestag to “improve the relationship between the EU and Israel.” A year earlier, it had demanded that the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction movement be banned.
In reality, such statements are little more than a political charade in a party where antisemitism is a feature, not a bug. Leading members of the AfD have trivialized the horrors of Auschwitz, demanded a complete U-turn on Germany’s culture of remembrance, and embraced militant neo-Nazis as supporters, members, and even employees.
Their hollow statements supporting the Jewish state provide a form of plausible deniability, making them more savory, at least to some voters, as they have climbed to an unprecedented 18% in polls ahead of the next election in February, up from 10.4% in 2021.
The AfD is by no means an exception. Across Europe, extremist, far-right parties are eager to frame themselves as allies of Israel. But behind their symbolic phrases and staged solidarity lies a political calculation – one that only serves to support their own anti-Muslim and anti-migration agenda while detoxifying their political image, as even the far Right has realized that open antisemitism nowadays amounts to electoral suicide.
They portray Israel as the last bulwark to prevent the encroaching Islamization of Europe, a bastion of a “Judeo-Christian Occident” that, in reality, never was. But the Jewish state is only useful as long as it can serve racist projections to stigmatize migrants back home.
Confusing cynical agendas poses a danger
It is dangerous to confuse this cynical agenda with a genuine political alliance. Anti-migration rhetoric may be the visible tip of the ideological iceberg, but below the surface lurk the same old antisemitic beliefs of the past.
In France, Marine Le Pen has supported Israel in the wake of the Hamas-led attacks as a way to distance her party, National Rally, from its antisemitic past and as a road to power. She famously kicked out her father – Jean-Marie Le Pen – from the party in 2015. He has repeatedly downplayed the Shoah and been prosecuted under Holocaust denial legislation.
She even ditched the party’s previous name, National Front, a toxic brand that had become synonymous with jack-booted right-wing extremists. And a performative stance against antisemitism and in favor of Israel to court France’s Jews has been key to this strategy.
Marine Le Pen’s plan has partly worked, despite continued antisemitic comments from some party members, turning her and National Rally into serious contenders in elections and eating away at the once vast gulf between the French far-right and political acceptability. National Rally and its allies received the largest share of the popular vote in both rounds of the French legislative election this summer, and the party came first nationally in the European elections in June.
Even in Israel, Le Pen has her fans, with Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, who is, paradoxically, also in charge of combating antisemitism, saying she would be “excellent for Israel.”
In Sweden, the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD), currently a de facto part of the ruling coalition, have said they want to be “friends” with Israel and are keen to boast about their pro-Israel voting record in the Swedish and European parliaments. But their solidarity with the Jewish state is also purely instrumental.
The party was founded by neo-Nazis and has called to ban non-medical circumcision and the import of kosher as well as halal meat. In 2022, an SD official was suspended after mocking Anne Frank. The party has also repeatedly attacked the Swedish Committee for Combating Antisemitism, an NGO that has criticized antisemitism within its ranks.
Again, praise has come from Chikli, who visited the Sweden Democrats in January, posing for a photo with its leader and writing on X/Twitter: “We deeply appreciate your support and your passion for our mutual fight for the future of Western civilization.”
And in Romania, after the far-right, pro-Russian Calin Georgescu won 24% of the vote in the first round of elections at the end of November, it was once again Chikli who cozied up to him on a phone call, with Georgescu reportedly promising to move Romania’s embassy to Jerusalem and not to respect the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Nevertheless, Georgescu has, in the past, praised early 1900s Romanian politician Corneliu Codreanu’s fascist Iron Guard, a violent organization considered by some to be even more antisemitic than Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP aka Nazi) calling them “national heroes.” He has also commended Ion Antonescu, the Romanian dictator who collaborated with the Nazis and was responsible for the murder of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust.
There are countless other examples of far-right parties in Europe who preach solidarity with Israel and practice plain old antisemitism, from Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz in Hungary, which espouses George Soros-themed conspiracy theories, to Spain’s Vox, which fielded a bona fide Holocaust denier as a parliamentary candidate.
Any alliance with these parties amounts to a Faustian pact: short-sighted, misguided, and, ultimately, fatal. It doesn’t take a relationship therapist to see: It’s definitely not a match.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-834617
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The 'Pager Plot' Shows That When Israel Is Pushed, It Will Do Whatever It Takes To Win
By Jpost Editorial
December 24, 2024
The Mossad’s operation “Pager Plot” conducted against Hezbollah was a mind-blowing moment when the organization released the details, as it was difficult not to marvel at the foolhardiness and originality behind it.
In a fantastic moment of psychological warfare and technical skill, the intelligence agency of Israel ingeniously inserted explosives into devices that Hezbollah used for communication, causing them to fall from the sky after being synchronously bombed.
Two months after the operation’s completion, the 60 Minutes segment that aired Sunday night US time, early Monday in Israel, reignited the global discussion on its implications.
The point of the plan is in its simple, yet effective nature: Tampering with the pagers that were meant for Hezbollah fighters under the guise of giving them real high-performance devices was a stroke of genius.
The operation not only wiped out a significant number of Hezbollah’s forces but also inflicted a massive blow to the morale of the terror organization and its sense of invincibility.
The psychological effect was not limited to the immediate victims but spread even further, creating an atmosphere of paranoia and uncertainty inside Hezbollah and all of its allies.
“The weaponized pagers had a charge of plastic explosive and a novel detonator that could not be detected by X-ray and with a little bit of plastic explosive,” Reuters reported in October. Those sophisticated methods were devised to get through the security checks, even those with the highest strictness. According to one Lebanese source, “Hezbollah was looking for explosives triggering alarms in airport security scanners. Nothing was found to be suspicious.”
An operation that targeted individuals to create both confusion and a scare but not to maximize the number of casualties was the motto of the “Pager Plot.” The Mossad, when it wounded about 3,400 fighters, caused 39 to lose their lives in the tactic, which made the resources of Hezbollah spread inefficiently – nursing the wounded and dealing with insecurity.
The use of psychological tactics in this operation has sparked debates about which methods are acceptable in today’s conflicts. By spreading fear and suspicion within Hezbollah, the Mossad won a strategic advantage, weakened a major enemy, and warned others strongly. Still, this tactic could encourage less ethical groups to use similar methods, leading to unpredictable and risky outcomes in future conflicts.
“We build a fake reality,” said Michael, a former Mossad agent, in an interview with CBS News. “We act as the creators, the producers, and the main characters; the world is our stage.” This “fake reality” involved detailed stories, online marketing efforts, and fake company details to make the explosive devices seem real. Reuters reported, “Hezbollah’s system for checking supplies was tricked by a carefully designed story that appeared very believable.”
This operation marked a turning point in the war with Hezbollah, displaying Israel’s true strength and creativity on the battlefield. It was a decisive, precise, and practical demonstration of power that has not only weakened Hezbollah but has also sent an unequivocal message to its adversaries and the world: Israel is a force to be reckoned with. Standing tall against the axis of evil, Israel has reaffirmed its position as a superpower – a democratic nation that values human rights and humane warfare but will not hesitate to defend itself when provoked.
For over a year, Israel has endured relentless attacks, with hundreds of thousands of its citizens displaced by rocket fire. The “Pager Plot” was not just about defense but about regaining security and showing resilience. As Gabriel, a former Mossad agent, noted, “First, you defend your people, then you worry about reputation.”
This operation has not only shifted the balance in the conflict with Hezbollah but has also served as a warning to Iran and its proxies. The ingenuity and precision demonstrated in this mission leave little doubt that Israel is prepared for any challenge.
Iran, take note: The “Pager Plot” is but one example of the creativity and resolve that Israel brings to the battlefield. The message is clear – when Israel is pushed, it will do whatever it takes to win, and it will do so with strength, strategy, and an absolute commitment to its people and its sovereignty.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-834620
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Israel's Invisible Mental Health Crisis, And How It Affects Israelis With Disabilities
By Ahmir Lerner
December 24, 2024
Much has been written over the past 14 months about the psychological toll October 7 and the current war have taken on Israeli society, as well as the call for additional mental health services – including a recent editorial in this newspaper (“Looking ahead,” November 24).
In listing groups that are grappling with the trauma, there is a glaring omission: Nowhere are individuals with disabilities, who comprise nearly one-fifth of Israel’s population, mentioned as those in dire need of mental health services.
The Jerusalem Post editorial rightly highlighted the war’s devastating effect on the collective and individual mental health of the country, specifically for Nova survivors, the displaced, IDF soldiers, and our released hostages. What received no mention was the mental health challenges facing individuals with disabilities, an already vulnerable population.
The war has brought disruptions to their daily routines as well; many have been displaced, and they too have to get to shelters that in most cases are not accessible. They have also been traumatized by sirens, warplanes, and booms, with some not fully capable of understanding the circumstances.
Indeed, Israel’s mental health infrastructure is fundamentally unprepared to support the many thousands of Israelis in need. In the case of people with disabilities, the problems are systemic and multilayered: Many therapists lack the specialized training, motivation, and awareness required to support this population effectively. This isn’t just a skills gap – there is a profound deficit in empathy and understanding.
The trauma of war has only added to the many past traumas experienced by those with disabilities. Many have been marginalized, teased, made fun of, or even experienced sexual harassment.
The statistics are stark. According to the CDC, people with disabilities experience stress five times more than the rest of the population. And while the general population experiences significant psychological strain, individuals with disabilities face even more complex barriers. They are more likely to be isolated, more vulnerable to additional trauma, and less likely to have robust support networks.
National approach for mental health, beyond traditional interventions
There is a need for a comprehensive, national approach that goes beyond traditional mental health interventions. As such, we must develop specialized training programs for mental health professionals to work with individuals with disabilities and create incentives for them to develop expertise in this critical area.
Additional research on trauma response for individuals with disabilities will help identify their specific issues and lead to more accessible therapeutic methods. Policies need to be changed to ensure people with disabilities have access to high-quality mental health care and attitudes must change so therapists are motivated to provide it.
Israel has always prided itself on innovation and on turning challenges into opportunities. Now is the moment to set a global standard for mental health support that is inclusive for those with disabilities. We must act now, comprehensively and compassionately, for the sake of every Israeli – with or without disabilities.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-834601
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The Zionist Emirates Are Starting To Play In Syria, So Revolutionaries Beware
By Dr Amira Abo El-Fetouh
December 23, 2024
Public squares across Syria have been filled with people raising the green flag of independence, from the Umayyad Mosque Square in Damascus to Daraa in the south, Aleppo, Hama and Homs in the north and Latakia on the coast. The Syrians have rejoiced in the success of their revolution against the bloodthirsty tyrant Bashar Al-Assad, and the fall of the fascist regime that has oppressed them for 54 years.
This popular outpouring of joy, of course, has scared tyrannical rulers in other Arab countries who are cut from the same cloth as Assad; they fear that the flood will spill over into their land and that they too will lose their thrones. They treat the people as if they are nothing but slaves who have no right to participate in government or even express an opinion or advise them in accordance with the Qur’anic verse, “Consult them in affairs”. Instead, if anyone dares to express any objections or show displeasure at how their country is ruled, they end up in prisons very similar to those run by the Assad regime in Syria.
The Arab tyrants fear the success of the Syrian revolution not least because it has an Islamic aspect. They hate “Islamists” and, like the West, call Muslims who want Islam to have a say in how their societies are run, “terrorists”. They work using all the means at their disposal, including wealth, weapons and media, to prevent Islamist movements or individuals from ruling any Arab country. With the fall of the butcher Bashar, whom they supported until the last moment before his humiliating flight, their thrones shook under their feet.
The tyrants have thus decided to revive the counter-revolutions that they backed against the Arab Spring in 2011 in Egypt, Yemen and Libya. However, they quite possibly have not given due thought to the fact that what worked for them in 2011 will no longer work in 2024, and that the past 13 years were enough to increase the awareness of the people and their understanding of the great conspiracy plotted behind closed doors against the struggles for freedom, dignity and justice.
All of the 2011 Arab Spring revolutions have faced challenges that led to their decline. The most dangerous of these remains the deep state’s cooperation with the remnants of the ousted regimes, especially in the security services and countries that recruited them to do the dirty work against their own people.
Hence, they told a group of Syrian followers of the ousted Assad regime to gather in Umayyad Square — there were no more than 250 of them — to demand a secular state. They did not raise the Syrian flag. These are the same people who took to the streets in support of the butcher Bashar and demanded the extermination of the revolutionaries. They praised him for dropping barrel bombs on the heads of their Syrian brothers and sisters.
Secularism in Syria during the rule of the Assad family was a domesticated ideology which did not allow even a hint of criticism of the regime for decades. It was an ideology that linked intelligence officers, artists and intellectuals, and legitimised the demonisation of large groups of Syrian society, not just the Islamists. The leading advocates of what is known as authoritarian secularism, or sometimes called secular jihadism, did not write a single article or utter a single word against the regime. They were not only hostile to Islamists; their hostility also extended to the democrats, who defend the priority of political change, public freedoms and free elections.
What I fear most is that the remnants of the regime, with their hateful ideology, will be a false witness to the present just as they were a false witness to the recent past.
The new leadership in Syria should, therefore, deliver real transitional justice quickly and introduce a genuine, non-arbitrary political isolation law so that the supporters of barrel bombs in Syria cannot return to leading demonstrations demanding democracy, as they once demanded such murderous bombings.
As soon as the Assad regime fell, some of those outside Syria affected by its fall began trying to sow discord among the people so that they might take revenge for the regime’s crimes, turning the joy of a historic victory into a civil war along sectarian and ethnic lines. Although the first few days after the fall of the regime passed relatively peacefully, some malicious voices were heard. Known for their suspicious loyalties to Syria’s enemies they began to play the sectarian card, spread rumours and fabricate stories made up in their sick imaginations. They wanted not only to spoil the celebratory atmosphere, but also to confuse the situation and draw attention to an alleged internal conflict. Such blatant incitement is intended to create the environment for the break-up of Syria into sectarian and ethnic states that the region’s enemies dream about.
The revolutionaries need to keep their wits about them and be aware that the Zionists, especially those from the UAE, are starting to play in Syria. Conspiracies are being plotted, at home and abroad to destroy Syria. May God protect Syria and its people.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241223-the-zionist-emirates-are-starting-to-play-in-syria-so-revolutionaries-beware/
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Gaza: A Story Of Genocide And Steadfastness
Dr. Ramzy Baroud
December 23, 2024
The Israeli war on Gaza is epitomized by the story of Beit Lahia, a small Palestinian town in the northern part of the Strip.
When Israel launched its ground operations in Gaza, Beit Lahia was already largely destroyed due to many days of relentless Israeli bombardment, which killed thousands. Still, the border town resisted, leading to a hermetic Israeli siege, which was never lifted, even when the Israeli military redeployed out of much of northern Gaza in January 2024.
Beit Lahia is a largely isolated town, a short distance away from the fence separating besieged Gaza from Israel. It is surrounded mostly by agricultural areas that make it nearly impossible to defend.
Yet, a year of grisly Israeli war and genocide in Gaza did not end the fighting there. On the contrary, 2024 is ending where it started, with intense fighting on all fronts in Gaza and with Beit Lahia — a town that was supposedly “conquered” earlier on — still leading the fight.
Beit Lahia is a microcosm of Israel’s failed war in the Strip: a bloody grind that has led nowhere, despite the massive destruction, the repeated ethnic cleansing of the population, the starvation, and the genocide. Every day of Israel’s terrible war on the Palestinians serves as a reminder that there are no military solutions and that the Palestinian will cannot be broken, no matter the cost or the sacrifices involved.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, remains unconvinced. He began this year with more promises of “total victory” and ends it wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges.
The issuing of an arrest warrant for the Israeli leader was a reiteration of a similar position taken by the International Court of Justice at the start of 2024. However, that court’s position was not as strong as many had hoped or wanted to believe. The world’s highest court in January ordered Israel “to take action to prevent acts of genocide,” but stopped short of ordering Tel Aviv to halt its war.
Israel’s objectives have remained unclear in 2024, although some Israeli politicians have provided clues as to what the war on Gaza is really all about. In January, several ministers, including 12 from Netanyahu’s Likud party, took part in a conference calling for the resettlement of Gaza and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. “Without settlements, there is no security,” extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said.
For that to happen, the Palestinian people themselves, not merely those fighting on the ground, had to be tamed, broken, and defeated. Thus the “flour massacres,” a new Israeli war tactic that aimed to kill as many Palestinians as possible as they waited for the few aid trucks that were allowed to reach northern Gaza.
On Feb. 29, more than 100 Gazans were killed while queueing for aid. They were mown down by Israeli soldiers as they desperately tried to lay their hands on a loaf of bread, some baby milk, or a bottle of water. This scene was repeated again and again in the north, as well as in other parts of the Gaza Strip, throughout the year.
The aim was to starve the Palestinians in the north so that they would be forced to flee to other parts of the Strip. Famine actualized as early as January and many of those who tried to flee south were killed anyway.
From the early days of the war, Israel understood that, to ethnically cleanse Palestinians, they must target all aspects of life in the Strip. This included hospitals, bakeries, markets, power grids, water stations, and the like.
Gaza’s hospitals, of course, received a large share of the attacks. In March, Israel attacked the Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City with greater ferocity than before. When it finally withdrew on April 1, the Israeli army destroyed the entire compound, leaving behind mass graves containing hundreds of bodies, mostly medical staff, women, and children. They even executed several patients.
Aside from a few statements of concern by Western leaders, little was done to bring the genocide to an end. Only when seven international aid workers with the World Central Kitchen charity were killed by Israel was a global outcry heard, leading to the first and so far only Israeli apology of the entire war.
Desperate to distract from its failure in Gaza, as well as the northern border with Lebanon, and keen on presenting the Israeli public with any kind of victory, the Israeli military began escalating its war beyond Gaza. This included the strike on the Iranian Consulate building in Damascus on April 1. Despite repeated attempts, which included the July assassination in Iran of the head of Hamas’ political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, an all-out regional war has not yet come to pass.
Another escalation was taking place, this time not by Netanyahu but by millions of people around the world who demanded an end to the Israeli war. A focal point of the protests were the student movements that spread across US college campuses and, ultimately, worldwide. Instead of allowing free speech to flourish, however, America’s largest academic institutions resorted to summoning the police, who violently shut down many of the protests and arrested hundreds of students, many of whom were not allowed to return to their colleges.
Meanwhile, the US continued to block international efforts aimed at producing a ceasefire resolution at the UN Security Council. Ultimately, on May 31, US President Joe Biden delivered a speech conveying what he termed an “Israeli proposal” to end the war. After some delay, Hamas accepted the proposal, but Israel rejected it. In his rejection, Netanyahu referred to Biden’s speech as “incorrect” and “incomplete.” Strangely, but also unsurprisingly, the White House blamed the Palestinians for the failed initiative.
Losing faith in the American leadership, some European countries began changing their foreign policy doctrines on the conflict, with Ireland, Norway, and Spain recognizing the state of Palestine on May 28. The decisions were largely symbolic but indicated that Western unity around Israel was faltering.
Israel remained unfazed and, despite international warnings, invaded the Rafah area in southern Gaza on May 7, seizing control of the Philadelphi Corridor — a buffer zone between Gaza and the Egyptian border that extends for 14 km.
Netanyahu’s government insisted that only war could bring the hostages back. There was very little success with that strategy, however. In June, Israel, with logistical support from the US and other Western countries, managed to rescue four of the hostages held in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. To do so, Israel killed at least 276 Palestinians and wounded 800 more.
In August, another heart-wrenching massacre took place, this time at the Al-Tabaeen school in Gaza City, where 93 people, mostly women and children, were murdered in a single Israeli strike. According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, women and children were the main victims of the Israeli genocide, accounting for 70 percent as of Nov. 8.
An earlier report by The Lancet medical journal stated that, if the war had stopped in July, “186,000 or even more” Palestinians would have been killed. The war, however, went on. The genocide in Gaza seemed to maintain the same killing rate, despite the major regional developments, including the Iranian-Israeli tit-for-tat strikes and the major Israeli ground operation in Lebanon.
Still, Israel failed to achieve any of its strategic goals of the war. Even the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in battle on Oct. 16 would not alter the course of the war in any way.
Israel’s frustration grew by leaps and bounds throughout the year. Its desperate attempt to control the global narrative on the Gaza genocide largely failed. In July, after listening to the testimonies of more than 50 countries, the International Court of Justice issued a landmark ruling that “Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is illegal.”
That ruling, which expressed international consensus on the matter, was in September translated into a UN General Assembly resolution “demanding an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestine within the next 12 months.”
All of this effectively meant that Israel’s attempt at normalizing its occupation of Palestine and its quest to illegally annex the West Bank were considered null and void by the international community. Israel, however, doubled down, venting its rage against West Bank Palestinians, who have also been experiencing one of the worst Israeli pogroms in many years.
The Palestinian Health Ministry stated in late November that at least 777 Palestinians had been killed in the West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023, while hundreds more had been wounded and more than 11,700 arrested.
To make matters worse, Smotrich called for the full annexation of the West Bank. This call was made soon after the election of Donald Trump as the next US president, an event that initially inspired optimism among Israeli leaders, but later caused concern that Trump may not serve the role of savior for Israel after all.
The International Criminal Court last month issued its historic ruling to seek the arrest of Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The decision represented a measure of hope, however faint, that the world is finally ready to hold Israel accountable for its many crimes.
The year 2025 could indeed represent that watershed moment. This remains to be seen. However, as far as Palestinians are concerned, even with the failure of the international community to stop the genocide and rein in Israel, their steadfastness, or “sumoud,” will remain strong until freedom is finally attained.
— Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and author. He is editor of The Palestine Chronicle and nonresident senior research fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs. His latest book, co-edited with Ilan Pappe, is “Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak Out.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2584092
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A Global Brand: Turkish Defence Industry
By Deniz Istikbal
Dec 23, 2024
The Turkish defence industry has become one of the most prominent brands of recent times. It has made significant contributions to the battlefield victories of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), attracting the attention of various countries. Developments in regions like Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Libya, Iraq and Syria have brought more visibility to this process, globalizing the Turkish defence industry.
According to international institutions, the Turkish defence industry is the 11th largest in the world, offering substantial opportunities to friendly and allied countries through its diverse production model. Unlike its Western counterparts, Türkiye focuses on technology sharing and self-reliance. This policy has led to increased interest in Turkish defence products, making the Turkish Armed Forces a global model for transformation in weapons technologies.
Ranked as the eighth most powerful military globally, the TSK benefits from the local production model of the defence industry, allowing it to act more independently. The turning point in this independence can be traced back to the Cyprus Peace Operation, where difficulties in acquiring Western-made products underscored the importance of self-sufficiency for national security and interests. This realization became a lasting legacy for Türkiye.
Today, with a project volume exceeding $100 billion (TL 3.51 trillion) and $6 billion in exports, the Turkish defence industry has reached a new stage. The sector aims to finance itself through exports and reduce its reliance on public funds. With a $2.7 billion R&D budget, the industry leads in developing next-generation technologies and harnesses Türkiye's highly skilled workforce. The annual graduation of approximately 1.5 million students from universities provides a vast talent pool for the industry. Over 2,000 companies operate within the sector, contributing to technological advancements in other industries. For instance, the Türkiye Automotive Initiative (TOGG) collaborates with defence firms, leveraging engineering expertise.
Similar breakthroughs in the Turkish aviation industry may also translate to global branding for Turkish Airlines (THY), which is poised to become one of the world’s top five airlines. Viewed through this lens, the ambitions of the Turkish industrial sector become clear. According to World Bank data, Türkiye ranks as the 12th largest industrial economy globally and is preparing for a high-tech leap with its medium-to-high-tech production model.
Leading this charge is the Turkish defence industry, the country’s most modern and technologically advanced sector, inspiring progress in other fields. To better analyse the progress of the Turkish industry, the growth rate of research and development (R&D) expenditures over the years can be tracked. While Türkiye's total R&D expenditure was $1.1 billion in 2002, it approached $20 billion in 2024. Defense industry companies lead the way in R&D spending, which has risen to as much as 1.5% of the national income. For instance, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), Aselsan, Havelsan, Roketsan, Baykar Technology and STM are at the forefront of R&D expenditures. The resulting R&D ecosystem contributes to the creation of new technologies and the emergence of products such as the national fighter jet, Altay tank, ATAK-2, the TCG Anadolu assault ship, Otokar, Aksungur and Bayraktar. In the coming period, it is expected that R&D expenditures, like the national income, will increase in both the public and private sectors. In such a process, the Turkish defense industry could quickly surpass actors like Israel and Spain.
The Turkish defense industry, as a global brand, aims to reach 150,000 employees, $11 billion in exports and $26 billion in annual revenue in line with the targets set in the 12th Development Plan (2024-2028). R&D expenditures, which have been significantly increasing each year, play a crucial role in achieving these goals. For instance, the KAAN fighter jet, Hürkuş trainer aircraft, MİLGEM warships, TCG Anadolu, Altay tank and UAVs such as Aksungur, Anka and TB-2 are products of R&D investments.
Defence industry products, designed according to the country's needs and incorporating advanced technology, are also exported to friendly nations. For example, the ARES speedboat is used by the Georgian and Turkmenistan Navies, while a similar model, the ARES 75 Hercules speedboat, is part of the Qatari Navy's inventory. Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are frequently utilized by countries like Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Pakistan. The Atak helicopters are actively preferred in missions by the Philippine and Nigerian Air Forces. While 230 types of Turkish defense industry products are exported to 185 countries, Turkish UAVs lead in sales. R&D investments have played a major role in achieving such an export capacity, along with the undeniable importance of government incentives. It is estimated that an annual average of $5 billion-$10 billion is spent on defense industry funds and incentives.
Baykar Technology, Aselsan and TAI are among the world’s top defense companies. Baykar Technology, as a private enterprise, marks a significant milestone in the history of the Turkish defense industry. Its export- and production-focused "Türkiye Model" serves as an example for other defense companies. With initiatives like Teknofest, defense industry high schools, technology schools and competitions, Baykar Technology is reshaping perceptions and inspiring the youth. These initiatives, combined with the positive reputation of Turkish defense products, are shaping the future of Türkiye. As the industry undergoes a technology-centered transformation, new generations aspire to be part of it.
The Turkish defense industry stands out in technology sharing compared to other countries. The defense industries in Sweden, the United States, Russia, China and Canada are generally reluctant to engage in technology sharing and joint production alongside their political conditions when exporting products. For example, it is known that Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in the national fighter jet KAAN.
In terms of joint production and technology sharing, the Saudis prefer Türkiye over Western actors. Additionally, KAAN offers significantly lower unit costs compared to its competitors. While the unit cost of F-35 jets is extremely high, their technology sharing is also limited. Furthermore, countries with strained relations with Western nations are expected to inevitably face challenges in sourcing defense industry parts in the future. From this perspective, the Turkish defense industry provides both more cost-effective options and refrains from acting based on political demands, distinguishing itself from its competitors.
There are numerous collaborations between South Korea and Türkiye in the defense industry. Unlike other competitors, the two countries, inclined toward a joint production model, set an example for others. Technology transfer is being conducted between the parties regarding Fırtına Howitzers and the Altay tank. The existing cooperative environment may pave the way for new partnerships in initiatives with other actors. Compared to Western actors, South Korea and Türkiye stand out as a model in creating and sharing next-generation technologies. A similar approach is being taken with members of the Organization of Turkic States, such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. In particular, Türkiye is significantly investing in modernizing the Azerbaijani army. These investments, joint production efforts, or technology sharing are not driven by political expectations but aim to contribute to the defence capacity of friendly and allied nations.
The Turkish defence industry secures $10 billion-15 billion worth of new projects annually. These projects, primarily focused on advanced technologies, encompass armoured vehicles, warships and unmanned aerial vehicles. These advanced technologies form the core components of the Steel Dome Air Defence System. Air defence systems, a joint initiative of defence industry giants such as Aselsan, Havelsan, Roketsan, TÜBİTAK and TAI, have recently emerged as a key focus area. The system, essential for the protection of Turkish airspace, is designed as a component of domestic resources. In the coming years, the Steel Dome could lead the way in transferring next-generation technologies to various private sector firms.
In conclusion, while the Turkish defence industry initially arose from a need for self-sufficient security, it has now become a source of national pride. Compared to other countries, Türkiye's model, which is based on technology transfer and joint production, has led many actors to demand Turkish defence industry products.
https://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/op-ed/a-global-brand-turkish-defense-industry
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Syrian Nuns Hopeful About Revolution: We Feel Safe
By Hilal Kaplan
Dec 23, 2024
We move from the center of Damascus to its northeastern periphery. We take long and winding roads to the town of Maaloula. This is a place where the Aramaic language, which was spoken during the time of Jesus, is still alive and the inhabitants are all Christians.
The place we will visit is the Convent of Saint Thecla of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, carved into the rocks. When we first arrive in the town, we are greeted with curious but warm greetings from the locals. As we enter the monastery, we meet nuns dressed in black. First they show us around the monastery and then we start our conversation.
According to their spokesperson, Sister Maryam, just a few days after the liberation of Damascus, a group of revolutionaries came to the town and gathered in a meeting with both religious representatives and representatives of the people. The revolutionaries promised the townspeople that their rights to life, property and faith would be protected.
It is important to remember that when we say revolutionaries, we are talking about people with whom they have lived together for centuries. I asked anyway: “And do you feel safe?” Sister Mary answered without hesitation, “Yes, nothing bad has happened and they reassured me from the very first day.”
Around the time I left Thecla, a much more important meeting was taking place in Latakia. Hassan Soufan (Abu al-Bara), one of the victims of Sednaya, the former head of Ahrar al-Sham and the new governor of Latakia, had organized a special meeting with the leaders of the Christian community in his city.
Yesterday, there were images of Christmas celebrations from both Latakia and Homs.
Ahmed al-Shara once said, “Look at our actions, not our words.” It is possible to witness that they have been sensitive to minority rights so far, for those who want to see it.
https://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/columns/syrian-nuns-hopeful-about-revolution-we-feel-safe
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